TEACHING IS THE CORE
ACTION PLAN
Sy ra c u s e C i t y S c h o o l D i st r i c t
June 2015
Introduction and Overview
2
The Situation
• Strategic Initiative 1.2 – Develop or acquire comprehensive
assessment system
The
Challenge
• Concern from educators and public that student assessment
has become a distraction from educator’s core work
• Fine line between valuable, timely information and overtesting
The
Opportunity
• District-wide initiative aimed at improving the quality of tools
our educators use to measure student learning
Table of Contents
3
Section
Slides
Teaching is the Core – Overview
4-20
Assessment Framework and Strategy Recommendations
21-30
Changes to Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) Plan
31-34
Steps to Implement Proposed Changes
35-38
Plan for Stakeholder Engagement
39-41
Grant Recipient Knowledge Sharing Timeline
42-43
Explanation of Grant Funds
44-45
Teaching is the Core - Overview
4
Section Overview
5
 The following section provides an overview of the
Teaching is the Core effort, what the district has
accomplished to date and key findings from the
assessment inventory summary and assessment review.
Teaching is the Core - Purpose
6
 Syracuse City School District (SCSD) recently concluded a comprehensive,
district-wide effort aimed at improving the quality of assessment tools our
educators use to measure student learning and inform teaching
 The district worked with teams of teachers to do the following:
Review the assessments currently in use across the district
Eliminate any assessments that do not contribute meaningfully
to teaching and learning
Improve the quality of existing assessments
Support teachers to use assessments more effectively in the
classroom
Three Phases - Overview
7
PHASE ONE:
Review Current Assessments
(November 2014–February 2015)
 Establish a district-wide assessment
strategy and framework
 Conduct a comprehensive review of the
local assessments schools are currently
administering:
 Administer a school survey to take
inventory of current assessments
 Identify and train teams of teachers to
review current assessments and
determine whether they are highquality and meaningful
 Recommend each assessment for
elimination, replacement, modification
or no change, and make notes of any
important assessment gaps
PHASE TWO:
Develop Action Plan
(March–May 2015)
 Based on the results of
the reviews, work with
teacher review teams
and other constituents
to develop clear next
steps to streamline and
improve assessments
PHASE THREE:
Implement Action Plan
(May–August 2015)
 Implement each
component of the action
plan and prepare for an
improved district
assessment system in the
2015–16 school year
Assessment Inventory Survey
8
Survey Administration
9
 Between November 17 and December 19, 2014, each school was
asked to complete a brief online survey to help identify
assessments currently in use by Syracuse schools
 Each school designated a representative (school leader or
academic leadership team representative) to complete the
survey on behalf of the school
 Schools were asked to identify school-based assessments that
met the following conditions:
 Administered by at least two teachers in the school
 Cover a period of instruction of a week or more
Survey Content
10
We asked each school for three types of information:
I. General School Information
II. District-Supported
Assessments
What is the name of the
assessment?
Primary point of contact?
School Leader or Academic
Leadership Team Rep.?
Grade levels served?
School’s name?
III. Other School-Based
Assessments
Which of these district
supported assessments is
your school currently using
(select all that apply)?
What type of assessment is it?
How widely is this assessment
used in your school?
How did you obtain this
assessment?
Information for School-Based Assessments
11
What is the
name of the
assessment?
What type of
assessment is it?
Diagnostic
How widely is this
assessment used in
your school?
By the entire
school?
How did you obtain this assessment?
The district provided it
It is part of our curriculum materials
Quiz
Fill-in the
blank
response
Unit Test
Interim
Assessment
Progress
Monitoring
Summative
Assessment
By an entire
grade(s)?
By an entire
subject(s) or
course(s)?
By two or more
teachers, but not
an entire grade or
course?
We purchased it from an external vendor
We found it online
Someone in our school compiled it (item
bank)
A team of educators at our school created it
An individual at our school created it
Other
Highlights of Survey Results
12
 In addition to district-supported assessments, schools identified




63 additional school-based assessments that they currently
administer to students
The majority (52%) are used by an entire subject(s) or course(s)
within the school
42% were created by an individual or team of teachers at the
school
39% are used for progress monitoring
35% are interim assessments
District Assessments Currently in Use
Current District Assessments
13
30
29
29
SCSD Curriculum Unit Assessments (ELA, K-12)
APPR Performance Tasks (Music, K-12)
APPR Performance Tasks (Art, K-12)
APPR Performance Tasks (Math, K-12)
Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) (ELA, 4-8)
EngageNY Module Assessment (Math, K-Algebra)
APPR Performance Tasks (Science, 3-12)
AIMSweb Tests of Math Computation (Math, K-8)
APPR Performance Tasks (ELA, K-12)
Running Records Assessments (ELA, K-5)
AIMSweb Test of Early Literacy (ELA, K-3)
Fundations Unit Assessments (ELA, K-2)
APPR Performance Tasks (Social Studies, 3-12)
APPR Performance Tasks (World Languages, 7-12)
APPR Performance Tasks (CTE, 9-12)
APPR Interim Assessments (Social Studies, 6-8)
Intensified Algebra Topic Assessments (Math, Algebra)
25
24
24
24
23
22
20
20
18
17
10
6
6
4
0
5
10
15
20
25
Survey Response Count
30
35
School-Based Assessments by Type
14
What type of assessment is it? (Select all that apply)
45%
38.5%
% of Assessments
40%
35.4%
35%
30%
25%
27.7%
24.6%
20%
15.4%
15%
9.2%
10%
5%
0%
Diagnostic
Quiz
Unit test
Interim
Progress monitoring
Type of School-Based Assessments
Summative
School-Based Assessments by Breadth of Use
15
How widely is this assessment used in your school?
(Select one option)
10.8%
18.5%
By the entire school
By an entire grade(s)
16.9%
52.3%
By an entire subject(s) or
course(s)
By two or more teachers, but not
an entire grade or course
Assessment Review
16
Teacher Review Teams – Overview
•
•
•
•
Teams of teachers,
organized by subject
area, used a rubric to
review the assessments
currently in use across
the district
Assessment Plan
Review Teams
17
Based on this analysis,
district leadership
created a plan to
streamline assessments
that do not contribute
meaningfully to
teaching and learning
and to improve the
quality of other
assessments
5 teacher review teams organized by subject areas: ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies and
ESL, reviewed 27 assessments that represent multiple grade levels and most frequently used
Review team members recommended by school, district and STA leadership
Each team consisted of 3-8 educators from elementary, middle and high schools
Teams used the rubric, came to consensus on overall rating and recommendation for each
assessment. Recommendations are to keep as is, modify, replace or eliminate
Assessment Review Rubric – Overview
18
 The assessment rubric is made up of four components
Category
Questions to
Consider
Observations
and Evidence
Rating
Assessment Review Rubric: Key Questions and
Rating Scale
19
The rubric is organized around four key questions:
 Does the assessment measure learning standards? (customized
by content area)
 Does the assessment support learning goals?
 Does the assessment inform instruction?
 Does the assessment utilize different assessment techniques?
Reviewers used the rating scale to rate each indicator for all
subjects and provide a summary rating:
 1=Does Not Meet, 2=Partially Meets, 3=Mostly Meets, 4=Fully Meets
Source: New York State Education Department Teaching is the Core RFP: http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/rfp/sa-17/nysed-rfp-sa-17.pdf
Teacher Review Team
Assessment Recommendations
20
• Teachers recommended that the majority of unit assessments be
modified or eliminated
• The district maintained the spirit of review team recommendations
and took as much information into account as possible to streamline
assessments
Examples of streamlined assessments for SY 2015-16
AIMSweb
STAR
Engineering
Recommended for
elimination
Recommended to keep
with no changes
Recommended for
elimination (both intro.
to engineering and
engineering part 2)
Assessment Framework and
Strategy Recommendations
21
Section Overview
22
 The following section outlines SCSD’s assessment
framework, belief statements, proposed assessment
strategy for the 2015-16 school year and guidance for
principals, teachers, parents and students.
Assessment Framework Overview
23
 The Assessment Framework provides information about the different
types of assessments used by the Syracuse City School District to
support student learning, the intended purpose and timing, content
and modifications.
 The Frequency of Assessments provides a snapshot of the number of
each assessment type in a school year and when they typically occur.
 Schools should use the district’s assessment framework as a guide for
making decisions about how and when to administer school-based
assessments (e.g., daily formative and/or unit assessments).
SCSD Assessment Framework: Belief
Statements
24
 Assessments should be high-quality. We must make the most of the time
students and teachers have together. Assessments must be aligned with rigorous
standards and measure students’ abilities to think critically, synthesize material
from multiple sources, analyze problems and justify responses.
 Assessments should be part of a coherent system. Assessments should
complement each other in a way that defines a coherent system of measures.
This requires balance of different assessment types staggered across a school year
to holistically capture student performance and growth. Assessments that provide
similar information on teaching and learning should be eliminated.
 Assessments should be meaningful. Assessments are critical to improving
instructional practice in the classroom by arming stakeholders with the most
important information. A robust assessment system is also empowering to
students. Students should have access to assessment data so that they
understand where they are in relationship to the goals they are setting for
themselves. To best accomplish this, the results of assessments should be timely,
transparent, disaggregated, and easily accessible to all stakeholders so they can
interpret and analyze results.
SCSD Assessment Framework
25
Assessment
“for
learning”
Daily
Formative




Lesson/Unit
Assessment



Screening and
Progress
Monitoring







Paced Interim
“of
learning”
Intended Purpose
Outcome
Assessment
In the moment and
Teacher Created
Measure mastery of lesson component
Evaluate student knowledge relative to
standards
Used to inform instruction
Designed for quick feedback for teacher
Grade-level team decisions about
modification
Provide measure of growth within grades
Adaptive
Comparative evaluation of curriculum
Paced to measure standards taught
Multiple questions to inform instruction
Meet state accountability requirements
Measure mastery of grade level standard
Choice (timing, content,
modifications)
Individual teachers with
guidance from GradeLevel Team
Grade-Level Teams with
guidance from resources –
Scope and Sequence,
foundational documents,
curriculum
Vendor/District
District/School
State/Federal
Frequency of Assessments
26
Sept
Lesson/Unit
Screening
Paced
Interim
Outcome
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
SY 15-16 Assessment Strategy: Intended Changes
as of May 27, 2015, pending local negotiations
27
Based on the survey results, teacher review team recommendations and SCSD’s
assessment framework, the district proposes the following changes for SY15-16:
Change #1: Eliminate assessments
that are not aligned to SCSD
strategic plan; add or expand
assessments aligned to SCSD
strategic plan
•
•
•
•
Change #2: Eliminate extraneous
assessments, when other rigorous
data are already available
• Eliminate school-based pre-assessments
• Eliminate unit assessments that fall within a
week of interim assessments
• Issue guidance to support schools to collect
relevant data about student progress while
maximizing instructional time
Eliminate AIMSweb
Eliminate SRI
Add STAR (PK-12)
Expand ANet Interim Assessments (2-8)
Change #3: Where possible,
eliminate assessments that are only • Eliminate APPR performance tasks
used for the purpose of evaluation
EXAMPLE: SCSD 5th Grade Assessments
as of May 27, 2015, pending local negotiations
28
Current Assessments - # of
Administrations in a Calendar Year
Assessment
“for
learning”
Daily Formative
Teacher-created assessments

Lesson/Unit
Assessment
Screening and
Progress
Monitoring
Paced Interim
Outcome
Assessment
“of
learning”
Other
Total
Proposed Assessments for SY15-16 - # of
Administrations in a Calendar Year






Math engageNY or Math Envision
Topic – (6-16)
ELA SCSD Units – 5
Social Studies Alive! – 4
Science SCSD Units – 4
Running Record – 4
Math AIMSweb – 3
ELA SRI – 3


Math ANet – 3
ELA ANet – 3








Math NYS 3-8 – 1
ELA NYS 3-8 – 1
SPED NYS Alternative – 2
ESL NYSESLAT – 2
Social Studies Performance Task – 2
Science Performance Task – 2
Art Performance Task – 2
Music Performance Task – 2
49 – 59







Math engageNY or Math Envision
Topic – (4-12)
ELA SCSD Units – 3
Social Studies Alive! – 4
Science SCSD Units– 4
Running Record – Teacher discretion
Math TBD/STAR – 3
ELA SRI/STAR – 3
No change (Expand Math and ELA
ANet Districtwide)
No change
Eliminate
33 – 41
EXAMPLE: Current Frequency (5th Grade)
29
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
Lesson/Unit
Screening
Paced
Interim
Outcome
APPR
Perform.
Tasks
Key:
Math=
ESL & SPED=
ELA=
Art=
Science=
Music=
Social Studies=
EXAMPLE: Proposed SY15-16 Frequency (5th Grade)
as of May 27, 2015, pending local negotiations
30
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
Lesson/Unit
Screening
Paced
Interim
Outcome
APPR
Perform.
Tasks
Key:
Math=
ESL & SPED=
ELA=
Art=
Science=
Music=
Social Studies=
Changes to APPR
31
Section Overview
32
 The following section outlines the proposed changes to
APPR for the 2015-16 school year.
Plan to Streamline Assessments for APPR in SY15-16
as of May 27, 2015, pending local negotiations
33
Current APPR Plan
 60% Classroom Observations*
 20% Growth Score:
•
•
•
State-calculated growth score
for ELA and Math
Combination of SLOs and
statewide assessment results
for tested subjects with no
pre-test (e.g., Regents courses)
Building-wide growth score for
non-tested subjects and
grades
Tentative APPR Plan for SY15-16
 50% Classroom Observations*
 50% Growth Score:
•
•
•
 20% Local Measure:
•
APPR performance task
assessments for non-tested
subjects and grades
*Final weights for all APPR measures will be set by NYSED by June 30.
State-calculated growth score
for ELA and Math
Combination of SLOs and
statewide assessment results
for tested subjects with no
pre-test (e.g., Regents courses)
Building-wide growth score for
non-tested subjects and
grades
Plan to Implement Proposed Changes to APPR in SY15-16
as of May 27, 2015, pending local negotiations
34
May 27
District presents plan for initial
approval by Superintendent
and Board
July-August
STA and district agree to final
changes to APPR plan
June 30
State issues final APPR
guidance to districts
September 2015-June 2016
SCSD implements new APPR
plan for all teachers
September-October
District submits proposed
changes for approval to
NYSED
Steps to Implement Proposed
Changes
35
Steps to Implement Proposed Change #1: Add or Eliminate
Assessments to Align to SCSD Strategic Plan
36
Key Activities
Departments and Key Staff
Key Dates
Status
Terminate vendor contracts for assessments that
have been eliminated (AIMSWeb); Discontinue SRI
administration
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
January 2015
Complete
Incorporate cost of new assessments in SY15-16
Teaching and Learning budget
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
January 2015
Complete
Implement stakeholder engagement plan to
introduce new assessments to key stakeholders (see
slides 39-40 for details)
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
January 2015August 2015
In progress
Submit Teaching and Learning budget to Supt. and
Board for approval
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
March 2015
Complete
Execute agreements with vendors to administer
new assessments in SY15-16 (STAR and ANet)
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
April 2015 –
July 2015
In progress
Select one school to pilot new assessments (STAR)
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
May 2015
In progress
Run new assessment pilot (STAR) to test technology
needs and capacity
Office of Teaching and Learning and Office of Accountability
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Brandan Keaveny, Chief Accountability Officer
May 2015 June 2015
In progress
Coordinate Offices of Teaching and Learning and
Student Accountability to determine technology
needs to administer assessments in Fall 2015
Office of Teaching and Learning and Office of Accountability
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Brandan Keaveny, Chief Accountability Officer
May 2015 –
July 2015
In progress
Steps to Implement Proposed Change #2: Eliminate Extraneous
Assessments and Issue Guidance on Administration
37
Key Activities
Departments and Key Staff
Key Dates
Status
Develop key messages and draft guidance
for various stakeholder groups
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
May 2015 –June 2015
In progress
Develop stakeholder engagement plan to
introduce guidance to key stakeholders
(see slides 39-41 for details)
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
May 2015 – Sept 2015
In progress
Draft assessment administration guide for
principals and teachers
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
July 2015
Not started
Implement stakeholder engagement plan
to introduce new assessments to key
stakeholders (see slides 39-41 for details)
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
August 2015
Not started
Steps to Implement Proposed Change #3: Where Possible,
Eliminate Assessments Used Only for Evaluation
38
Key Activities
Departments and Key Staff
Key Dates
Status
Present plan to Superintendent and Board
Office of Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer;
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
May 2015
In progress
Implement stakeholder engagement plan to
introduce new APPR plan to stakeholders
(see slides 39-41 for details)
Office of Talent Management
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive Director of Talent Management
May 2015 –
October 2015
In progress
Negotiate changes to APPR with STA
Office of Talent Management
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive Director of Talent Management
July 2015 –
August 2015
Not started
Submit new APPR plan with changes for
approval to NYSED
Office of Talent Management
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive Director of Talent Management
September 2015
– October 2015
Not started
Plan for Stakeholder Engagement
39
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
40
Key Activities
Key Dates
Deliverable(s)
Key Staff
Present plan to Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory
Council
Present plan to College, Career and Civic Ready Work
Group (C3)
Present plan to Educational Work Session
Jan–May 2015
FAQ for teachers and Action plan deck
Jan–May 2015
Action plan deck
May 2015
Action Plan deck
Post plan on SCSD website
June 2015
Action plan deck
Present plan to principals during Leadership Summit
July 2015
Present plan to principals during Leadership Institute
August 2015
Present plan to teachers during Summer PD
August 2015
Present plan to coaches during Coaching Academies
August 2015
FAQ for principals, assessment
administration guide, Action Plan deck
FAQ for principals, assessment
administration guide, Action Plan deck
FAQ for teachers, assessment
administration guide, Action Plan deck
FAQ for teachers, assessment
administration guide, Action Plan deck
Constant Contact email blast/FAQ for
parents
Newsletter summary blurb
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic
Officer
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic
Officer
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic
Officer
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Email blast to all parents with summary of changes
September
2015
Print short blurb explaining changes in Superintendent September
Parent Newsletter
2015
Present plan to SCSD Parent Advisory Council
Sept – Oct 2015
FAQ for parents and Action Plan deck
Present plan at SCSD Parent University
Sept – Oct 2015
FAQ for parents and Action Plan deck
Present plan to Student Advisory Council
Sept – Oct 2015
FAQ for students
Post community flyers and hold information sessions
Sept – Oct 2015
1-page flyer with information session
Print short blurb in SCSD Staff Newsletter
Sept – Oct 2015
Newsletter/Summary blurb
Family and Community Engagement Plan
41
Key Activities
Key Dates
Deliverable(s)
Key Staff
Post plan on SCSD website
June 2015
Action plan deck
Email blast to all parents with summary
of changes
Present plan to SCSD Parent Advisory
Council
Present plan at SCSD Parent University
Sept 2015
Constant Contact email blast/FAQ for parents
Sept-Oct 2015
FAQ for parents and Action Plan deck
Sept-Oct 2015
FAQ for parents and Action Plan deck
Present plan to Student Advisory Council
Sept-Oct 2015
FAQ for students
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer
Print short blurb explaining changes in
Supt Parent Newsletter
Post community flyers and host
information sessions
Sept-Oct 2015
Newsletter summary blurb
Sept-Oct 2015
1-page flyer in community centers and
churches; Action Plan deck and FAQs for
community members
Jeremy Grant-Skinner, Executive
Director of Talent Management
Nathan Franz, Executive Director of
Teaching and Learning
Grant Recipient Knowledge Sharing
Timeline
42
Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination
43
SCSD is committed to sharing knowledge and resources generated through this project
with peer grantees and with the broader community.
Key activities
Key Dates
Resources/Deliverable(s)
Key Staff
Share SCSD process and plan or streamlining
assessments with Race to the Top states
January 2015 &
May 2015
Presentation on the Reform Support
Network’s Streamlining Assessments
Webinar Series
Nathan Franz, Executive Director
of Teaching and Learning
Collaborate on publication of an Assessment
Review Toolkit (in partnership with Education
First and the Achievement Network)
June 2015
Assessment Review Toolkit
Nathan Franz, Executive Director
of Teaching and Learning
Share SCSD Teaching is the Core planning
resources with peer grantees (through secure
NYSED network and/or Dropbox folder)
June 2015
Action Plan
Assessment Review Rubric
Assessment Inventory Survey
Nathan Franz, Executive Director
of Teaching and Learning
Share SCSD Teaching is the Core
communications/stakeholder engagement
deliverables with peer grantees (through secure
NYSED network and/or Dropbox folder)
August 2015
Key messaging materials for principals,
teachers, parents and students (e.g.,
letters, flyers, FAQs, etc)
Nathan Franz, Executive Director
of Teaching and Learning
Explanation of Grant Funds
44
Explanation of Grant Funds
45
 SCSD has budgeted for the implementation of the Teaching is the
Core Action Plan.
 The major costs around procurement and administration of
screening and progress monitoring assessments will be funded
by the A-fund for school year 2015-16.
 SCSD shifted the work from temporarily grant-funded to a
permanent component of the core budget.