DN 101:
An Introduction to Diplomas Now
Keeping Every Student on the Path
to High School Graduation, College
Readiness and Adult Success
Welcome and Purpose
The purpose of this session is to:
•Provide information on the history and current status of
Diplomas Now
•Explain the roles and purpose of Diplomas Now Partners
•Identify the roles and purpose of Diplomas Now teams
•Share best practices
• Allow participants to ask clarifying questions about
Diplomas Now and their role in the implementation of the
model.
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Purpose
Group Activity
Review of the Agenda
History of DN and current locations
Overview of the Process
Description of Roles
How it Works
Questions, Comments, Concerns
What is Diplomas Now?
Diplomas Now is a comprehensive model for school
improvement that helps the toughest middle and high
schools in America’s largest cities ensure that every student
graduates ready for college or career.
The Right Supports
To The Right Students
At the Right Time
It is the first fully integrated model that improves a school’s
curriculum and instruction while it provides direct support
and interventions to students.
Diplomas Now
Investing in Innovation Fund Validation Grant
“Cutting-edge ideas that will produce the
next generation for reform.”
- Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education
1,700 Applicants
49 Grantees
 $30M federal grant + $6M match through generous support of the PepsiCo
foundation
 60 high poverty middle and high schools in 10+ districts reaching 57,000
students
 Conduct randomized experimental study validating the impact of the model,
and focusing on the conditions necessary to:
 Achieve 80% grad rates in high schools
 Reduce by 66% the number of students entering high school below grade
level
Current DN Footprint
Seattle 2
schools
Detroit
3 schools
Boston
3 schools
New York City
2 schools
Chicago
3 schools
Columbus
3 schools
Los Angeles
5 schools
Philadelphia
5 schools
Washington, DC
1 school
Jacksonville
2 schools
San Antonio
2 schools
East Baton
Rouge
3 schools
Miami
6 schools
Diplomas Now Cities and Schools
BOSTON, MA
McCormack MS
The Burke HS
The English HS
CHICAGO, IL
Chicago Talent Development HS
Gage Park HS
John Hope College Prep HS
COLUMBUS, OH
Linden McKinley STEM HS
Mifflin HS
South HS
DETROIT, MI
Clippert Academy
Detroit Collegiate Prep HS
Noble ES (K-8)
EAST BATON ROUGE, LA
Capitol MS
Broadmoor MS
Belaire HS
JACKSONVILLE, FL
Andrew Jackson HS
Matthew Gilbert MS
LOS ANGELES, CA
Clinton MS
Liechty MS
Manual Arts Senior HS
Thomas Jefferson HS
MIAMI, FL
Allapattah MS
Drew MS
Edison MS
Booker T. Washington HS
Homestead Senior HS
Miami Carol City Senior HS
NEW YORK CITY, NY
John Ericsson Middle School 126
Newtown High School
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Dimner Beeber MS
E. Washington Rhodes MS
Feltonville School of Arts & Sciences
Grover Washington MS
Woodrow Wilson MS
SAN ANTONIO, TX
Rhodes MS
Luther Burbank HS
SEATTLE, WA
Denny International MS
Aki Kurose MS
WASHINGTON, DC
Cardozo HS
The Partners
Schools
& Districts
Diplomas Now
A Comprehensive Secondary School
Transformation Model
Integrated
Student
Supports
Targeted
Support &
Whole School
Prevention
Whole School
Reform /
Improvement
•
•
•
Case management for social service
referrals to community partners
Small group and individualized
counseling
Needs Assessment and Resource
Mapping
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teams of near peer mentors
Instructional supports
Attendance monitoring and coaching
Behavior monitoring and coaching
Afterschool/extended learning
One on one small group mentoring
Whole school positive climate
•
School organization and scheduling
(double and triple dosing)
Teacher teaming and research-based
curriculum
Job-embedded professional
development
Early Warning Indicator and Response
Systems
School climate
•
•
•
•
In School with Diplomas Now –
At a Glance
Principal
School
Asst. Principal
School
School
Transformation
Facilitator (STF)
Talent Development
Program/
Impact
Manager
City Year
Site
Coordinator
Communities In Schools
The 2013-2014 DN Goals
Overall EWI
Distribution:
Attendance
At least 67% (two-thirds) of students within DN
focus grades have no EWIs at the end of the
school year.
Of students that were off-track at any data point:
50% or more move on-track
Behavior
Of students that were off-track at any data point:
50% or more move on-track
ELA/Literacy
Of students that were off-track at any data point:
50% or more move on-track
Math
Of students that were off-track at any data point:
50% or more move on-track
Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools
For more than 30 years, Communities In Schools has
been helping students achieve in school, graduate and
go on to bright futures
A nationwide network of passionate professionals
working in public schools to surround students with a
community of support, empowering them to stay in
school and achieve in life
There are nearly 200 local affiliates serving 1.25 million
students in 2,700 schools in 27 states and D.C.
The CIS Model of Integrated
Student Services
City Year
Whole School Whole Child Model
Tiers of Impact
Whole School
Prevention
Classroom
Support
Targeted
Support
• School climate, attendance, positive
behavior and enrichment programs
• Family engagement
• Enable differentiated instruction
• Reinforced classroom learning
• For hundreds of students in school
• Academic and socio-emotional
Corps Member Assets
• Critical mass of people power
• Diverse “near peer” role models
and tutors
• Full-time and extended day
• Idealistic culture/energy
• Real-time response to need
Improved
Improved
student
student
Attendance,
Attendance,
Behavior
Behavior
andand
Course
Course
Performance:
Performance:
English
English
& Math
& Math
Improved
Improved
on-time
on-time
grade
grade
progression
progression
Student
Student
mindset
mindset
andand
skills
skills
for school
for school
achievement
achievement
andand
civiccivic
participation
participation
City Year Supports Teachers in Implementing the
Common Core State Standards
WSWC intervention strategies and tools center on key math and literacy
domains of CCSS
• ELA interventions support development in 3 main strands:
Foundational Skills, Reading, and Language
• Math interventions support grade-level Standards for Mathematical
Content and Practice
Corps members are
trained to scaffold
content for struggling
students and support
teacher-driven
content delivery
leading to mastery
within math and
literacy classrooms
Corps members help
reinforce classroom
curricula, pedagogy,
standards and
learning practices
through extended
day programs,
interventions and
just-in-time learning
City Year integrates
with teacher teams
to support datainformed
interventions to help
students reach
grade-level
proficiency.
Talent Development
Secondary
Johns Hopkins Talent Development
Secondary
Research-based reform
model designed by Johns
Hopkins University
Serving more than 100
schools & reaching more
than 50,000 students,
almost 90% of whom
qualify for Free and
Reduced Lunch
Established model working
in schools since 1994
Quick Facts!
Running three schools, two
of which are Diplomas
Now sites.
US Department of
Education-approved
turnaround and
transformation provider
Talent Development model
given a second-highest
rating as an effective
dropout prevention
program
Johns Hopkins Talent Development
Secondary – The 4 Pillars
Johns Hopkins Talent Development
Secondary – Key Components
 Small Learning Communities
 Teacher Teams
 Early Warning Indicator Meetings
 Common Planning Time
 4x4 Block Schedule (high school)
 Acceleration Courses and Instructional Coaching
 Extended Time Literacy & Numeracy Courses (middle school)
 Climate
 Twilight School (high school)
 Distributive Leadership
Johns Hopkins Talent Development
Secondary – Tactics
Scheduling
Career
Academies
(High Schools)
Coaching
Cycle
Johns Hopkins Talent Development
Secondary – High School Curriculum
Freshman
Sophomore
Strategic
Reading
ALFA LAB
Reading and
Writing in Your
Career
College Prep
Reading and
Writing
Transition to
Advanced
Mathematics
Geometry
Foundations
Algebra II
Foundations
Freshman
Seminar
Career Academy
Blended
Mathematics
Career Academy
Blended
Mathematics
Junior
Senior
Career Academy
Blended
Mathematics
Johns Hopkins Talent Development
Secondary – Middle School Curriculum
Climate &
Character
ELA
Math
Science
Social
Studies
Student
Team
Literature
Everyday Math
Hakim’s
Story of
Science
Hakim’s
History of
US
High Five As
& Bs Climate
Program
TD
Writing
Program
Transition
Math &
Algebra
District
program
support
Mastering the
Middle Grades
curriculum
Savvy
Readers’
Lab
(recommended)
District program
Math
Acceleration
Lab
The Schools
The School District Works with the Schools
and the Diplomas Now Team to:
Allow designee
from each DN
partner to serve
on the school’s
leadership team
Collaborate with
DN partners on
creating a
process for
integrating each
partner in the
school culture
Co-design &
implement
master schedule
that will allow
model to be
implemented
Work with DN
team to
develop and
maintain a
positive school
climate
Include all
partners in the
writing of the
school’s
improvement
school year
Other School Responsibilities
EWI System
• Support the
bi-weekly EWI
meetings
• Include all DN
partners &
teachers of the
students on the
“focus list”
• Provide access to
students’
baseline and
program
outcome data
Professional
Development
• Provide suitable
staff
development for
all DN partners,
as necessary
• Collaborate with
DN staff to
develop trainings
throughout the
year
Space
• Provide a
suitable space
for each partner
• Include tables,
desks, chairs to
deliver services
and activities
• Allow access to
copier, office
supplies, and
other materials
agreed upon
The DN Model
The Diplomas Now Model
Instructional Supports
Organizational Supports
• Bi-weekly EWI meetings
• On-site school transformation facilitator
• Inter-disciplinary and subject focused common
planning time
• Professional Development and technical assistance
focused on Positive Behavior Supports and
Interventions (PBIS)
• Double dose math & English
• Extra help labs
• Common college preparatory or high school
readiness curricula
Professional Development
Supports
• Job-embedded coaching - Math and
English instructional coaches
• Professional learning community
• Professional development linked to
grade/subject specific instructional
practice
Multi Tiered Response to Intervention Model
• 10 to 15 City Year AmeriCorps members: whole
school and targeted academic and socio-emotional
supports
• Communities In Schools on-site coordinator: case
managed supports for highest need students and
brokering and linking students to needed and
appropriate resources
Teacher Team
Data Supports
(3-6 teachers)
3-4
sections
• Easy access to student data on the
Early Warning Indicators
• Benchmarks tied to national and state
standards
• On-site facilitator to leverage EWI
data
Student Supports
Interventions to address early
warning indicators of
• Attendance
• Behavior
• Course Performance
• Whole school attendance,
positive behavior, collegegoing culture
• Strengthening student
resiliency
Diplomas Now Works with Students &
Schools
Partners with the
School
Community
Gives
Adults Tools
to Improve
Student
Success
DN’s Work
with
Students &
Schools
Provides
At-Risk
Students with
Caring Adult
Support
Integrates
Student Support
& School
Improvement
Diplomas Now Work with
Administrations &Teachers
Academies
and Small
Learning
Communities
Professional
Learning
Communities
and Teacher
Teaming
Early
Warning
Indicator
System
DN’s work with
teachers and
administration
Extra Help
Curriculum
Aligned with
CCSS
Technical
Assistance
(Scheduling,
Staffing,
Data
Systems)
Standard Team Structures
National Exec Team
DNIST
Local Exec Team
Local Ops Team
*in applicable cities
School Team
The Diplomas Now Implementation
Doug Elmer,
Director of DN
/ DN Guru
Sheila
Drummond,
Deputy Director
Columbus
San Antonio
Seattle
Jessica Herman,
Deputy Director
Baton Rouge
Chicago
Los Angeles
Kathy Nelson,
Deputy Director
Matt
Wernsdorfer,
Field Director
Miami
Philadelphia
Washington, DC
Boston
Detroit
New York
Kellie Hinkle
Diplomas Now Manager of School Turnaround, City Year