Priority/Focus School Monitoring
2014
Virginia Baker
Division of Federal Programs
vbaker@pa.gov
1
How did you get here?
• Priority schools – Lowest 5 % of Title I schools
– Based on aggregate math and reading proficiency, or
– Algebra I/Literature Keystone exams, or
– Title I school receiving SIG (School Improvement
Grant) funds
• Focus schools – Lowest 10% of Title I schools
– Based on highest achievement gap for Historically Low
Performing students, or
– Title I school with a graduation rate below 60%, or
– Test participation rate below 95%, AND
– Not a Priority school
2
Monitoring
Generalities
• All Priority schools will be monitored this year
• Half of the Focus schools will be monitored this
year; other half will be monitored in 2014-15
school year
• Monitors have been assigned. Training will take
place March 4 & 5
• Academic Recovery Liaisons will be assigned to
Priority schools to help with planning
interventions
• Title I-A, Title II-A and Title III (if applicable) will
be monitored at the same time
3
Timeline
• Letters will go out to superintendents the
week of March 17
– Name of Monitor
– Login/Password for Fed Monitor system
• Monitor will contact the district to set up
date(s) for monitoring
• May be a team of monitors depending on the
number of buildings
4
Timeline
• 2 weeks prior to visit – district personnel
access Fed Monitor and fill out online
monitoring instruments
– Title I, II and III
– Priority/Focus school monitoring instrument
• Monitor(s) will review monitoring instruments
prior to visit and verify documentation
5
Timeline
• After monitoring visit, monitors will make any
changes/additions to instrument that are
warranted and lock the instrument
• Schools have 3 years to complete all the
required elements for Priority/Focus
interventions
6
What documentation should be
available to the Monitors?
• Comprehensive Plan – School Level
• Leadership Team membership
– LEA Level
– School Level
• Include parents on the teams
• Schedule of Leadership Team meetings
• ARL may be available for monitoring visit to
discuss direction of district
7
Monitoring Visits will include:
– Review of documentation
– Observation of interventions
– Interviews of appropriate staff
• ARL, if available
• Principal
• Other members of the leadership team
8
Priority/Focus Schools
• Schools must choose interventions to assist in
meeting the four Annual Measurable Objectives
(AMOs)
– Test Participation Rate – 95% participation on
PSSA/Keystones
– Graduation rates (85%)/Attendance rates if no
graduation rate) (90% or improvement from previous
year)
– Closing Achievement Gap – All Students
– Closing Achievement Gap – Historically
Underperforming Students
9
Exiting Priority Status
• Make all 4 AMOs for 3 consecutive years
• If not, significant changes aligned with the one
of the 4 SIG options will be required
10
Exiting Focus status
• Make all 4 AMOs for 3 consecutive years
• If not, implement a revised improvement plan
with additional supports
• Focus schools that have not exited Focus
status after an additional 3 years will be
designated Priority schools
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Choosing Interventions
• Characteristics of high performing schools:
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Clear and shared focus
High standards and expectations
Effective leadership
High levels of collaboration and communication
Curriculum, instruction and assessment aligned to
standards
Frequent monitoring of teaching and learning
Focused professional development
Supportive learning environment
High levels of community and parent involvement
12
Intervention Models
• School Improvement Grant model
– School Closure
– School Restart
– School Turnaround
– School Transformation
• Model aligned with 7 Turnaround Principles
– Priority schools must adopt all 7 principles
– Focus schools must adopt at least one principle
13
Additional interventions
• Tiered interventions
– Set of interventions strategically designed to
address the range of student needs within a
school (RTII)
• Needs analysis that leads to interventions ties
to a specific subgroup needs
14
SIG Models
• Closure
– School is closed and students are sent elsewhere
• Restart
– School turned over to a Charter Management
Organization (CMO) or an Education Management
Organization (EMO)
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SIG Model - Turnaround
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Replace the principal and grant flexibility
Screen all staff and rehire no more than 50%
Adopt a new governance structure
Provide high-quality, job-embedded professional
development
Adopt a research-based, vertically aligned instructional
program
Increase learning time
Provide appropriate social-emotional and community
oriented services for students
Include parents in planning the implementation model
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SIG Model - Transformation
• Replace principal and grant flexibility
• Use a teacher evaluation system that takes into account student
achievement
• Identify and reward school leaders and teachers who increase
student achievement and graduation rates
• Remove staff who, after ample opportunities have not increased
student achievement or graduation rates
• Provide high-quality, job-embedded professional development
• Adopt a research-based, vertically-aligned instructional program
• Use student data to identify academic needs and to inform and
differentiate instruction
• Increase learning time
• Provide ongoing mechanisms for family and community
engagement
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7 Turnaround Principles
• Priority Schools must implement meaningful interventions
associated with the 7 Turnaround Principles
• Focus schools must implement meaningful interventions
associated with at least ONE of the 7 Turnaround Principles
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Strong leadership
Effective teachers
Increased learning time
Strengthened instructional program
Use of data to inform instruction
Safe school environment
Family and community engagement
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Turnaround Principle 1
• Providing strong leadership
– Review the performance of the current principal
– Replace the principal
Or
– Demonstrate that the current principal has a track
record in improving achievement and the ability to
lead the turnaround effort
– Provide operational flexibility in the area of staff,
curriculum and budget
19
Turnaround Principle 1 –
Strong Leadership
• Evidence of implementation:
– For principals with minimum of 3 years in current
position, LEAs should provide data for:
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Student achievement on Student Achievement
Student attendance or graduation rates
Student discipline numbers
Teacher attendance rates
Teacher retention rates
– Flat or downward data trends signify a need to
consider replacing the principal
20
Turnaround Principle 1 –
Strong Leadership
• Evidence of implementation:
– Evidence of an LEA pipeline of turnaround leaders to support
school leaders who are likely to be successful in accelerating
student achievement
• Partnerships with graduate schools of education
• Establishment of consortia of LEAs to provide pool of leaders
– Evidence of operational flexibility based on school-based data
• Staggered schedule to ease transition-related student disruptions
• Reallocate or repurpose staff to focus on targeted instructional needs
(including participation in PA Instructional Coaching Institute)
• Internal curriculum audit to ensure fidelity in the implementation of
the standards
• Reallocation of funds to support systematic and sustained adult
learning.
21
Turnaround Principle 2 –
Effective Teachers
• Effective teachers
– Review the quality of all staff and retain only those
who are determined to be effective and have the
ability to be effective
– Prevent ineffective teachers from transferring into the
school
– Use the state Teacher Effectiveness tool based on
Charlotte Danielson’s framework
– Provide high-quality professional development aligned
to the domains and components of the Framework for
Teaching for both teachers and principals
22
Turnaround Principle 2 –
Effective Teachers
• Evidence of implementation
– Schedule of staff reviews with:
• Numbers to be evaluated each year
• Numbers of teachers determined to be in need of
improvement
• Numbers of teachers dismissed due to unsatisfactory
performance
– Example of student data system used to
determine how teacher effectiveness is tied to
student achievement
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Turnaround Principle 2 –
Effective Teachers
• Evidence of Implementation
– Evidence of evaluation of implementation of
teacher effectiveness system
– Evidence of teachers and principals being assigned
to professional development based on evaluation
24
Turnaround Principle 3
Increased Learning Time
• Redesign school day, week or year to include
additional time for student learning and teacher
collaboration
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Longer school day
Add before and/or after school time
Redesigned school day to increase instructional time
Increase number of school days in the year
Add time for teachers to collaborate on data analysis
and/or instructional design
– Addition of summer school for all students
– Add weekend school time
25
Turnaround Principle 3
Increased Learning Time
• Evidence of implementation
– School calendar showing additional days added
– Student schedule showing increased hours or
additional student advisory periods
– Teacher schedule showing addition of common
planning time
– Evidence of addition of full-day kindergarten or
pre-kindergarten
– Additional evidence of hours added for student
learning or teacher collaboration
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Turnaround Principle 4 –
Strengthened Instructional Programs
• Instructional program based on student needs
and:
– Research based
– Rigorous
– Aligned with PA Core Standards
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Turnaround Principle 4
Strengthened Instructional Program
• Evidence of Implementation
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Curriculum Audit showing prioritized curriculum needs
Evidence of periodic reviews of the instructional program
Evidence of student progress monitoring
Teacher surveys
Evidence of technology-based interventions
Evidence of an RTI I program
Dual enrollment program
Freshman academies
Student transition program
Credit recovery programs
Early Warning systems
28
Turnaround Principle 5
Using Data to Inform Instruction
• Use of a data system such as CDT to provide
diagnostic information
• Provide time for collaboration on the use of
data
• Use of an Early Warning System to improve
graduation rates
• Use of a reporting tool such as Kindergarten
Entry Inventory to help teachers understand
and track kindergarten students’ proficiency
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Turnaround Principle 5
Using Data to Inform Instruction
• Evidence of implementation
– Student data system such as CDT
– Teacher use of Learning Progression Maps
– Use of the Kindergarten Entry Inventory
– Opening Doors or other Early Warning System
– Use of Schools to Watch Protocol, High Schools
that Work assessments and surveys or other
continuous improvement tools
– Evidence of common planning time - team
meeting agendas and minutes
30
Turnaround Principle 6
Safe School Environment
• Establish a school environment that:
– Improves safety and discipline
– Addresses other non-academic factors that impact
student achievement, such as students social,
emotional and health needs
• Establish changes in systems, protocols,
procedures and culture to effect change
where needed
31
Turnaround Principle 6
Safe School Environment
• Evidence of Implementation
– Positive School Wide Behavioral Supports
– Bullying Prevention
– Restorative Practices
– Examination of school safety and discipline trends
based on the cycle of the school year,
grade/subject area, time of day, etc.
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Turnaround Principle 7
Family and Community Engagement
• Leverage the resources of the community to
create learning experiences that engage youth
in their communities and provide them with
21st century skills
• Use digital media to interact with parents and
guardians who may not be able to participate
in the usual parent activities
33
Turnaround Principle 7
Family and Community Engagement
• Evidence of Implementation
– List of organized parent group members
– Evidence of parents being involved in and informed of school
turnaround decisions
– Meeting agendas, notes, sign-in sheets
– Community surveys
– Evidence of learning experiences created with community
involvement and resources
– Workforce development
– Evidence of the school’s effort to engage parents and
community beyond traditional means, such as social media,
email, blogs, website, etc
– Parent education classes
– Addition of a Parent Resource Center
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State Resources
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Academic Recovery Liaisons
Standards-Aligned System (SAS)
Classroom Diagnostic Tests (CDT)
E-Metric
PVAAS
Comprehensive Planning Tool
Pennsylvania Institute for Instructional Coaching (PIIC)
Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership Program (PIL)
Teacher Effectiveness System
Principal Effectiveness System
Specialist Effectiveness System
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State Resources (cont.)
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Pennsylvania Comprehensive Literacy Plan
Hybrid Learning Environment
Opening Doors
School Intervention funding
Intermediate Unit expertise
PaTTANs
36
How do we pay for it?
• Title I funds
– 20% of allocation must be used for interventions in
Priority schools
– Optional for 2013-14
• School Intervention Funds
– Non-competitive
– Comparable to School Improvement funds from past
years
• SIG Grant (School Improvement Grant)
– Competitive
– Up to $2 million per school per year
37
PDE Communication
• Division of Federal Programs will be sending information
regarding monitoring
– Powerpoint
– Monitoring tool
– Instructions on accessing Fed Monitor
• Designate a contact(s) for your LEA to receive this
information and send to Kelly Iorfida at kiorfida@pa.gov
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LEA name and school name
Name
Position within the LEA
Email address
38
Principle 1 –
Providing Strong
Leadership
LEA Leadership
School Leadership
Requirement
LEA has established
a Leadership Team
that meets regularly
to assess the
school’s
improvement
strategies
LEA has established
performance
objectives for the
school
LEA has aligned
resources with the
school’s reform
strategies
LEA has provided
ongoing, intensive
technical assistance
to the school
Current principal’s
performance has
been reviewed
Principal has been
replaced or there is
demonstration that
the current principal
has a track record in
improving
achievement and
has the ability to
lead the turnaround
Met/Not Met/NA
Suggested Evidence of
Implementation
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List of members and
meeting schedule
LEA Transformation
Team meeting notes
Sign-in sheets
Implementation Additional
Year
Evidence/
Comments
 Year 1
 Year 2
 Year 3
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Performance objectives
Evidence of progress
toward objectives
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Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
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School budget
Schedule of LEA visits
List of LEA supports
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Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
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Evidence of technical
assistance
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Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
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Pennsylvania Framework
for Leadership
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LEA has advertised for
principal replacement
Contract hire date
Student achievement
data
Student discipline data
Teacher attendance rates
Teacher retention rates
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Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
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39
Questions???
40