COLLABORATION AND SCHOOL REFORM IN NEW HAVEN

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COLLABORATION AND SCHOOL REFORM IN NEW HAVEN

• NEW HAVEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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Progress Driven by Cross-Group Input and
Discussion
Launch of New Haven reform, and conflict in State
Capital over Charter Schools
Winter/Spring 2009
Reset of reform with joint reform discussions -
Contract negotiations overlapping and in parallel
Summer 2009
NHFT reform contract agreement (Approved by 842
to 39)
Sept 2009
Multi-party committees created by contract
agreement (Reform, Teacher Evaluation and
Development or TEVAL, and Survey also PEVAL),
with Teacher Committees in parallel
Fall/Winter 2009
District survey on Central Office Effectiveness
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) survey on
evaluation and coaching
Dec 2009
First Tiering of Schools, identifying 7 pilot
schools with significant flexibility
Mar 2010
Spring 2010
Recommendations on TEVAL and PEVAL approved by
NHPS Board of Education
First Climate survey of schools, including 360
feedback
Launch of new school year with revised NHPS
evaluation and development systems
Sept 2010
On-going multiparty dialogue and strengthening of
reform program
Today
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NHPS School Change Campaign
Issues We have Worked On
Portfolio of Schools
Talent
Community Parents
Each school will be organized and supported on
its own unique path to success (Tiering of
schools, School Turnaround , Flexibility in
School Work Rules, School Climate Surveys,
Central Office Effectiveness and Feedback Survey)
Adults in the system will be managed as
professionals to encourage collaboration,
empowerment, and responsibility for
outcomes (Teacher and Principal Evaluation and
Development Systems, including measures of
student learning Pipeline for Teacher Leadership
and Leadership Development)
The work of the school system will be as aligned
as possible with the other adults who work on
behalf of students, including parents and
community organizations (Increasing Parent
Involvement, Boost! Collaboration with the United
Way, New Haven Promise)

• Evidence of Progress
• Academic progress in planning year gains in CMT
  double that of state as a whole, and 1/3 of
  system making AYP or safe harbor
• Smoothness and focus of school opening and
  ongoing school yeareven in the face of historic
  snow
• Anecdotal feedback on positive climate in
  schools, including both collaboration and
  instructional practice.
• Identification of XX potential needs improvement
  staff without significant backlash. Positive
  anecdotal feedback on TEVAL and instructional
  manager conversations

• Evidence We Expect to See Soon
• Positive climate survey feedback, on school
  climate and TEVAL process (in field now)
• Strong academic results in turnaround schools,
  other tiered schools, and all schools (DRA tests
  provide leading indicator)
• Actual progress from a substantial number of
  potential Needs Improvement staff, and overall
  increases in teacher ratings over time

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What has Collaboration Meant in NHPS?
Examples and Implications
Start with Common Goals

• Reform discussions began with a Joint Statement
  of Beliefs
• Similarly, at the start of the TEVAL process, the
  TNTP survey established a common frustration with
  existing evaluation and development, and aligned
  ambitions for a new system

Validate Concerns

• There are administrators who are not good judges
  of teacher quality, and teachers need mechanisms
  of both protection (3rd party validation) and
  feedback (climate surveys)

Avoid a Broad Brush

• The vast majority of both teachers and
  administrators are capable, competent people,
  capable of and eager for professional coaching
  relationships

Connect Relevant Issues

• Administrators need the time and focus to be
  effective coaches and evaluators which means
  other issues need a lower priority
• Similarly, teachers and administrators need
  high-quality and timely student assessments

Put the Time In

• Collaboration means time, commitment, and
  patience in order to demonstrate a commitment
  both to teamwork and to common objectives

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Primary Concerns and their Response
Primary Concerns
Response

• Teacher tenure, or protection of basic due
  process
• Use of test scores in a teachers evaluation
• Top to Bottom Accountability, including
  principals
• Translation from teacher input to actual action
  in the district

• Clear contract language to delineate reform
  measures
• Creation of Citywide committees, with parallel
  teacher working groups
• Top to Bottom Accountability, including aligned
  processes/materials, all the way to
  superintendent
• In TEVAL, 3rd Party Validation, multiple measures
  of student performance, and weight of student
  performance depending on consistency of result
• Emphasis on Comer principles of No Fault
  discussion
• Emphasis on methods of broad input (survey,
  committees, etc) to identify consensus rather
  than extreme positions

TEACHERS

• Practical and actionable process for school
  change teacher evaluation, school-level
  flexibility, etc
• Avoiding the blame-game, of parents, teachers,
  principals, or central office

ADMINISTRATION
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Moving Forward
We are conscious that both our reform and our
relationship must continue to evolve. Areas of
focus include

• Strengthening professional community among
  teachers, to emphasize collective professionalism
  in balance to individual rights
• Expanding capacity (i.e. time) and capability
  (i.e. expertise) of school leaders to collaborate
  with and develop teachers
• Ensuring tone of respect and professionalism,
  even in difficult conversations