Unified Improvement
Planning
Sponsored by
The Colorado Department of Education
Version 1.4 Summer 2010
Overview
• The New Planning Paradigm: Clarifying the legislatively
defined planning terminology and the new Unified
Improvement Planning Template for schools.
• Planning Processes and Tools: Engaging in collaborative
inquiry to analyze data, identify needs, and identify root
causes.
• State Review of Planning: Understand how school plans
will be reviewed and review timelines.
Materials
Agenda
Changes in
Improvement
Planning
Requirements
Data Analysis
and Root
Cause
Identification
Reviewing
Current
Status
Developing
Action Plans
Gathering
Data to
support
planning
State
Review of
Plans
Purposes of Improvement Planning
• Facilitate school and district Performance Management - anchor for Accountability 2.0
• Support school and district use of performance data to
improve system effectiveness and student learning.
• Provide a mechanism for external stakeholders to learn
about how schools and districts are making
improvements.
• Meet state and federal accountability requirements
(regardless of plan type assignment).
What School Planning Requirements will
the Unified Improvement Plan Meet?
• State accountability
• Title I
– Improvement Plan for schools on improvement,
corrective action or restructuring
– Targeted Assistance Plan*
– Portions of Schoolwide Plan*
• Some requirements may need to be included as
addendums for Targeted Assistance and
Schoolwide Plans.
Why Use the Unified Improvement Planning
Template for Title I TA or SW Plans?
• Reduce the number of plans
• Align and focus your improvement efforts
• Increase likelihood of more effective use of
funds
• Transition from planning as an “event” to
“continuous improvement”
Which Schools Must Use the
Unified Planning Template?
• All schools are highly encouraged to use the template for
2010-2011.
• For state accountability, schools that need to complete a
“priority improvement” or “turnaround” plan must use the
template.
• For ESEA, Title I schools on Improvement, Corrective
Action or Restructuring must use the template.
• By 2011-2012 ALL schools must use the template.
Timeline
• As a team, consider the timeline in the District
Accountability Handbook for:
– School Accreditation and Plan Submission
• When will schools engage in improvement
planning?
Planning Terminology
• Consider the Appendix A:
Colorado Educational
Accountability System
Terminology in the
District Accountability
Handbook (p. 23)
• For each of the terms on
this slide, prepare to
explain the term to a
colleague.
• Terms:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Performance Indicator
Measure
Metric
Root Cause
Action Step
Interim Measure
Implementation Benchmark
Colorado Unified Planning Template
for Schools
Major Sections:
I. Summary Information about the school
II. Improvement Plan Information
III. Narrative on Data Analysis and Root
Cause Identification
IV. Action Plan(s)
Basic Steps in School Improvement Planning
I.
Summary Information
about the school
II. Additional Information
III. Narrative on Data
Analysis and Root
Cause Identification
IV. Action Planning
Agenda
Changes in
Improvement
Planning
Requirements
Data Analysis
and Root
Cause
Identification
Reviewing
Current
Status
Developing
Action Plans
Gathering
Data to
support
planning
State
Review of
Plans
Performance Indicators
Education Accountability Act of 2009
• Student Achievement
• Student Academic Growth
• Growth Gaps
• Post-Secondary and Workforce Readiness
In addition, ESEA (Title I) includes
• Achievement Gaps by Disaggregated Groups
• Participation
I. Summary Information about the
school
• Individually read: Review performance
indicators, measures, and targets.
• Consider the “Summary Information about the
School” in the Colorado Improvement Planning
Template.
• Mark both using this legend:
–
–
! = I got it, this makes sense.
? = I could use some further clarification.
Where are the SMART Goals?
Team discussion:
• Consider the structure of performance
indicators, measures, metrics and targets.
• How is this similar to SMART Goals?
• How is this different?
SMART Goals
•
•
•
•
•
Strategic
Measurable
Attainable
Research-Based
Time-Bound
Performance
Management
• Performance Indicators
(Areas for Improvement)
• Measures (What we will use)
• Metrics (How we will use the
measure)
• Targets (Answers when and
defines good enough)
Where did you NOT meet
expectations?
• Consider each of the performance
indicator areas for one or your schools.
• Were there any performance indicators for
which your school did not at least “meet”
state expectations?
• These areas would be identified on your
pre-populated school improvement
planning template.
Consider an example
• School Performance Framework (high school
example)
• Section I of the corresponding school
improvement planning template (pre-populated)
Consider:
• Where did this high school not meet state
expectations? Federal Expectations?
• How do these two documents work together?
II. Improvement Plan Information
• Provides reviewers (and public) with
additional context
• Provides contact information if any
questions arise
Agenda
Changes in
Improvement
Planning
Requirements
Data Analysis
and Root
Cause
Identification
Reviewing
Current
Status
Developing
Action Plans
Gathering
Data to
support
planning
State
Review of
Plans
Section III: Narrative on Data Analysis
and Root Cause Identification
Four Steps:
1. Gather and Organize Relevant Data
2. Analyze Trends in the Data and Identify
Priority Needs
3. Root Cause Analysis
4. Create the Data Narrative
• Data Analysis Worksheet (table)
• Data Narrative for School (text box)
Multiple measures must be
considered and used to understand
the multifaceted world of learning from
the perspective of everyone involved.
-Victoria Bernhardt
For what do you use multiple data
sources?
• To answer questions about performance:
– How has the school performed (trends and priority
needs)?
– Why is school performance what it is (root causes)?
• To monitor school progress towards our targets
(interim measures).
• To monitor implementation of improvement
strategies (implementation benchmarks).
Section III, Step One: Gather and
Organize Relevant Data
• Individually read “Gather and Organize Relevant
data”.
• Consider the “Required reports.” and
“Suggested data sources”
– Do you know how to access the required
reports?
– Consider the Suggested data sources table.
Highlight any data you currently collect within
the district.
Agenda
Changes in
Improvement
Planning
Requirements
Data Analysis
and Root
Cause
Identification
Reviewing
Current
Status
Developing
Action Plans
Gathering
Data to
support
planning
State
Review of
Plans
Section III, Step Two: Analyze
Trends and Identify Needs
• Individually read Step 2: Analyze trends
and identify needs.
• Do a “whip around” at your table about the
most important aspects of this step in the
planning process.
Moving up the Data Continuum
Brieter & Light, Light, Wexlar, Heinze, 2004
Steps in Analyzing Data
1.
Clarify how good was good enough for each
performance indicator (SPF).
2.
Interact with the data (measures)
•
Highlight
•
Create graphical representations
•
Reorganize
3.
Look for patterns, things that pop out (trends).
4.
Brainstorm a list of facts (make observations)
5.
Prioritize observations.
6.
Turn observations into priority needs.
How good is good enough?
• State Performance Indicators:
– School and District Performance Frameworks
– State expectations defined for each
performance indicator
• Federal Performance Indicators:
– Annual AYP Targets
– See, “AYP Proficiency Targets and Safe
Harbor”
Trends and Priority Needs
• Trends must include at least 3 years of
past data.
• Priority needs must be identified for at
least every performance indicator for
which school performance did not meet
state or federal expectations.
Section III, Step Three: Determine
Root Causes
• Read Step Three: Root Cause Analysis (in
Basic Steps in the Improvement Planning
Processes)
• As a team/table group, consider the
following questions:
– Why is it important to identify root causes?
– How will you know when you have identified a
root cause?
Steps in Root Cause Analysis
1. Generating explanations (brainstorm)
2. Categorize/ classify explanations
3. Narrow (eliminate explanations over which you
have no control)
4. Prioritize
5. Get to root cause
6. Validate with other data
Tools to Support Root Cause Analysis
Steps in Root Cause
Analysis:
Tools to use for different
steps:
1.
Generating explanations
(brainstorm)
1.
Potential questions to probe
for Root Causes
2.
Categorize/ classify
explanations
2.
NA
3.
Narrow (eliminate
explanations over which you
have no control)
3.
Narrowing Explanations
4.
Prioritize
4.
Prioritizing Need Areas
5.
Get to root cause
5.
The Five Why’s
6.
Validate with other data
6.
Validate with Other Data
Did we get to root causes?
Ask the key questions for identifying whether a
cause is a root cause:
1. Would the problem have occurred if the cause had
not been present?
2. Will the problem reoccur if the cause is corrected or
dissolved?
3. Will correction of dissolution of the cause lead to
similar events?
Non-examples of Root Causes
• What is NOT a root cause?
– Student attributes (poverty level)
– Student motivation
• Brainstorm a few ideas with your table
team of explanations that might appear to
be root causes but don’t qualify.
• Share three with whole group
Section III, Part 4
• Data Narrative
• Narrative Description of:
– Trend Analysis and Priority Needs
– Root Cause Analysis
– Verification of Root Cause
• Tell the story of your data.
Agenda
Changes in
Improvement
Planning
Requirements
Data Analysis
and Root
Cause
Identification
Reviewing
Current
Status
Developing
Action Plans
Gathering
Data to
support
planning
State
Review of
Plans
Two Concurrent Planning Steps
1. Ensuring future activities are headed in
the proper direction:
– Clarifying annual targets
– Identifying interim measures and associated
targets.
2. Identifying Major Improvement Strategies
– Action steps
– Timeline
– Resources
– Implementation Benchmarks
Action Planning
• Consider the Action Planning section of the
Basic Steps in Improvement Planning. Form a
triad, assign A, B, C
• Read your section:
– A = School Goals Worksheet: Establish Annual
Targets and Interim Measures
– B = Identify Major Improvement Strategies and
Implementation Benchmarks
– C= Monitor Progress
• Share: major ideas, local connections
Clarify Annual Targets
• In ESEA performance indicator areas, annual
targets have been set (See AYP Proficiency
Targets and Safe Harbor).
• Schools and districts will need to set annual
targets for the Education Accountability Act of
2009 performance indicator areas (considering
state expectations).
• Annual targets should reflect current
trends/needs as well as the desired end-point.
Interim Measures
• Interim measures must also be identified in each
performance indicator area for which
improvement is needed.
• Interim measures allow you to track your
progress during the year.
Identifying Interim Measures
Consider your local data sources:
• What data do you have available that will
allow you to track progress towards your
annual targets in each performance indicator
area?
• When will it be available? How will school
stakeholders use it?
• What additional data is needed to monitor
progress towards your targets?
Major Improvement Strategies
• Respond to root causes of the
problems you are attempting to
remedy.
• Action steps are smaller activities that fit
within larger major improvement
strategies.
• Strategies and Action Steps must be
associated with resources (people, time,
money).
Implementation Benchmarks
• What is the difference between interim
measures and implementation benchmarks?
• How will you know your major improvements
strategies (and aligned action steps) have been
implemented?
• What will you monitor?
• Consider your local data sources
• Set a calendar for when you will look at the
implementation benchmarks.
Agenda
Changes in
Improvement
Planning
Requirements
Data Analysis
and Root
Cause
Identification
Reviewing
Current
Status
Developing
Action Plans
Gathering
Data to
support
planning
State
Review of
Plans
What School Plans will be reviewed by
the State?
• The state will NOT review all school plans.
• Based on SB09-163, the state will review:
– Priority Improvement Plans
– Turnaround Plans
• Based on ESEA, the state will:
– Monitor districts to determine if school plans are in
place (e.g., desk review, onsite visits)
– This includes schoolwide plans, targeted assistance
plans and school improvement/corrective action/
restructuring plans.
Who Will Review School Plans?
• Districts are expected to review all school plans. Local
school boards must adopt priority improvement and
turnaround plans. The principal and superintendent (or his
designee) must adopt school performance and
improvement plans.
• A state review panel appointed by the commissioner will
review all state required turnaround plans.
• The state review panel MAY review priority improvement
plans.
• District must use peer review if school is on Title I
Improvement, Corrective Action or Restructuring within 45
days of submittal.
What criteria will be used to review
plans?
• Checklist for State Accountability
• Checklist for Title I Schoolwide Programs
• Checklist for Title I Targeted Assistance
Programs
• Checklist of ESEA Requirements for School
Improvement, Corrective Action and
Restructuring Plans
How will school plans be reviewed?
• Consider the “Process for Reviewing School
Priority Improvement and Turnaround Plans”
• Consider the Title I requirements, including
checklists for TA and SW programs.
• With your team/table group discuss:
– What are the critical steps in this review process?
– Do we have any clarifying questions about how this
review process will work?
Unified Improvement Planning
for Districts
Unified Improvement Planning
for Districts
• Version 1.0 district template released in fall 2009
• Piloted with districts identified for improvement
under NCLB (Titles IA, IIA and III)
• Updating template to align with District
Performance Frameworks and to include
additional federal programs.
• Next version will be released in summer 2010.
Which Districts Need to Use the
Unified Planning Template?
• All districts are highly encouraged to use the template
for 2010-2011.
• For state accountability, districts that need to complete
a “priority improvement” or “turnaround” plan must use
the template.
• For ESEA, districts/grantees identified for Improvement
under Title IA, IIA and/or III must use the template.
• By 2011-2012 ALL districts must use the template.
What District Plans will be reviewed
by the State?
• The state will NOT review all district plans.
• Based on SB09-163, the state will review:
– Priority Improvement Plans
– Turnaround Plans
• Based on ESEA, the state will review:
– Improvement plans for districts/grantees identified
under Title IA, IIA and/or III.
Who Will Review District Plans?
• A state review panel appointed by the commissioner will
review all state turnaround plans.
• The review panel MAY review priority improvement
plans.
• For districts/grantees identified for Improvement under
ESEA, CDE staff will review the Improvement plans to
ensure ESEA requirements are met.
Planning to Plan
• Make notes on the “Planning to Plan” tool
in your Planning Tools Packet
• For each step in the planning process
consider:
– Timing
– What will we do?
– Who will be involved?
– What tools/support do we need?
Your Feedback!!!
• Written:
– Parking Lot
• + the aspects of this session that you liked or worked for you.
• The things you will change in your work or would change
about this session.
• ? Questions that you have
•
Light bulb: ideas, a-has, innovations
• Oral: Share one reflection