Tips for Improvement Planning: Lessons Learned

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Tips for Improvement Planning Lessons Learned

• ISBE Innovation and Improvement

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Resources

• The Resource Manual http//www.isbe.net/sos/htmls/
  improvement_process.htm
• Innovation and Improvement Division
• 217-524-4832
• The Interactive Illinois Report Card
  eplans_at_niu.edu
• [phone]

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Center on Innovation and Improvement
www.centerii.org

• The Mega System Handbook for Continuous School
  Improvement Sam Redding
• Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School
  Improvement Herbert J. Walberg
• Exploring the Pathway to Rapid District
  Improvement Brett Lane

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District Improvement Plans Submission Date

• 90 days following initial notification of status
  at IWAS

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School Improvement Plan Submission date

• 135 days after the initial IWAS notification to
  district superintendent

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Targeted Feedback
Monitoring and Feedback
Data and Analysis
Action Plan
Key Factors
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Tools for a Specific End

• Less Red Tape and More Learning
• Minimized hoop-jumping
• Focused planning on
• key audience
• overall good sense

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Harsh Realities
Perfect plans ? improved student achievement
Plans are required by NCLB and state law
Clear and critical need to focus on learning
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Winning Plans

• Measurable
• Implemented with fidelity
• Monitored
• Focused on what works

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How?

• All plans submitted via the Interactive Illinois
  Report Card
• http//iirc.niu.edu

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The Interactive Illinois Report
Cardhttp//iirc.niu.edupasswords gbuoy_at_isbe.net
Sample login screen
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District Involvement in School Planning

MAXIMUM RESPONSIBILITY
Increasing assistance with planning as school
does not make AYP
RESTRUCTURING
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Lessons Learned from the Best

• Foster little doubt about implementation
• Build a strong relationship between data,
  strategies/activities, and monitoring
• Detail roles, responsibilities, expectations
• Plan critical changes in classroom practice

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Plan implementation is the Huge Assumption-

• What do plan users have to know to implement the
  plan with fidelity and monitor progress?

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Tip 1 Write for the Right Audience

• The primary audience for the plan is the
  userthose who will implement this plan.

Dont write the plan primarily for other
audiences.
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Tip 2 Look Beyond AYP
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Tip 3 Take Care to Consider the Factors
Contributing to Achievement

• Whats contributing to your progress?
• Are these factors internal or external?
• Are you blaming the kids?

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Whats preventing students from learning?
How do you know?
School culture doesnt foster shared
responsibility for all kids learning
Supplemental support is weak or not rigorous
Failure to use the intended curriculum by all
staff for all kids
Teachers need ELL training
School culture doesnt reflect rigor, relevance,
relationship
Insufficient teacher learning/team time
Coarse and fine grain internal factors
Teachers do not have adequate coaching or support
to implement strategies
Instruction doesnt span cognitive levels
Mile wide and inch deep curriculum
Teachers arent clear about whats expected in
classrooms
Kids dont have equitable access to the curriculum
Kids arent in the least restrictive educational
environment
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Paying Attention to What Matters

• Doing What Works dww.ed.gov/
• Indicators of Effective Practice www.centerii.org

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Tip 4 Be Specific and Thorough

• Is the plan specific enough?

Is the action plan sufficient?
Is it clear how you will track progress?
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Tip 5 Focus and Coordinate Strategies and
Activities
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• Objective While the current achievement in math
  for students with disabilities subgroup is 66.5
  meeting/exceeding for ISAT, this subgroup will
  make AYP of at least 85 in 2011 and 92.5 for
  2012 or Safe Harbor.
• Strategies
• 1 double block math instruction
• 2 coaching for math staff
• 3 student and staff review of student work
• 4 beef up test taking skills
• 5 progress monitoring to drive instruction

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Tip 6 Focus on Student Learning
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Sample Plans

• While no plan is perfect, planners can learn lots
  from models and we have lots of them to share.
  Time will tell how good.
• Contact your ROE/ISC for samples.

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For assistance

• Contact your ROE/ISC
• The Interactive Illinois Report Card
• eplans_at_niu.edu
• [phone]
• Carol Diedrichsen cdiedric_at_isbe.net