District Self Study Guide Each school district and accredited non-public school in Iowa is required to develop a written plan to describe their implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum. The first phase of the implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum is the completion of a comprehensive district self study of current practices, actions taken in the past, work already completed, and work that must be completed. This document provides broad guidance on the use of the Scoring Rubric and related documents, organized across the following areas: Purpose and Use Content Future Directions Steps to Complete Scoring Rubric Consensus Rating form Feedback form Appendices – PowerPoint Overview, Outcome 2 documents, Profile of Iowa Professional Development Model Components Purpose and Use The purposes of the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study are to: (1) Obtain baseline information for districts to use to develop their implementation plan, (2) Provide progress monitoring information for continuous improvement of Iowa Core Curriculum implementation, (3) Help districts prioritize their needs in preparation for the development of their Iowa Core Curriculum Implementation Plan, (4) Provide the state a way to evaluate the rollout and progress of Iowa Core Curriculum implementation. Districts need to complete the self study as baseline prior to the development of any part of their implementation plan; district self study results should be used to develop an initial implementation plan. It is not anticipated that districts will score at the highest levels on this rubric during the baseline phase; rather it is more likely that districts will score low-to-medium and use results to identify priorities and actions that will result in growth that will be reflected on future administrations of the rubric. Further, the ultimate and most important outcome for districts is the discussion that surrounds the self study; the score on the rubric is a reflection of this facilitated discussion. The district self study is to be used as an individual district baseline and progress monitoring tool embedded into a continuous improvement process. Results should not and will not be used as comparison scores across districts. It is most important that districts experience growth across Outcomes/Actions and years. The Scoring Rubric and Consensus Rating form have been developed by outcome and released for use subsequent to established Iowa Core Curriculum vetting procedures. Therefore, it is expected that districts will complete the self study by outcome, as subsequent rubrics become available and develop initial implementation plans over time using results from these self studies. The following are recommended practices for completing the Scoring Rubric: (1) Diverse Stakeholder Input - The full Iowa Core Curriculum District Leadership Team should be engaged to complete the Scoring Rubric for baseline and subsequent progress monitoring administrations. Processes should be used that elicit not only input, but ownership in self study results and subsequent initial implementation plan; (2) Facilitator- Self study facilitators should review the entire contents of this document prior to leading any group to complete the Scoring Rubric. The facilitator could be district personnel or personnel from the AEA Iowa Core Curriculum Network. 1 (3) Data Collection and Reporting - The Scoring Rubric and the Consensus Rating form should be completed prior to the development of the implementation plan 1 for baseline and annually for progress monitoring. The self study may be completed as often as the district deems necessary; at a minimum, annually. (4) AEA as Partners – Districts should partner with their AEA Iowa Core Curriculum Network personnel to complete the Scoring Rubric. Each AEA will have someone who is able to provide technical assistance in how to collect, report and use the self study data/results. Content The content of the self study is based on the six major outcomes of the Iowa Core Curriculum: Outcome 1 – Leadership: School leaders build and sustain system capacity to implement the Iowa Core Curriculum. Outcome 2 – Community: Community members and other supporting agencies work together to support the implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum. Outcome 3 – Schools: A continuous improvement process to improve teaching and learning is used at the district and school level. Content -- Instruction -- Assessment Outcome 4 – Content Alignment: District leaders and other educators monitor and use data to increase the degree of alignment of each and every student’s enacted curriculum and other relevant educational opportunities to the Iowa Core Curriculum. Outcome 5 – Professional Development: Educators engage in professional development focused on implementing Characteristics of Effective Instruction and demonstrate understanding of Essential Concepts and Skill Sets. Outcome 6 – Instruction and Assessment: Educators implement effective instructional practices to ensure high levels of learning for each and every student. Each outcome has one or more targets; each target has one or more district actions that are necessary to meet the target and therefore each major outcome of the Iowa Core Curriculum. In order for districts to evaluate current practices, actions taken in the past, work already completed, and work that must be considered. A Scoring Rubric has been developed for districts to complete. The rubric is tied to the district actions, and based on a five-point Likert scale.2 Future Directions For the first year, the Scoring Rubric will be completed as a paper document until an online data management system can be developed for statewide use. The online system will be developed by 2010. It is anticipated that the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study and Implementation Plan will be embedded into the school improvement process (IAC Chapter 12 requirements) within the next five years. At the current time, these processes need to be separate as we work as a state to refine how we can realize the Iowa Core Curriculum in each Iowa classroom. Providing feedback on the process of completing the Scoring Rubric will be essential to help the state refine this work. To this end, there are built-in feedback procedures for the Scoring Rubric for each outcome; it is expected that districts will provide important and salient feedback to the Network and to the Department of Education using these procedures. This feedback will be used to further refine the self study process(es). It is anticipated that the full District Self Study Guide will be in final form in conjunction with the release of the online data management system for the Iowa Core Curriculum. 1 Districts may complete the self study by Outcome and therefore use results to develop an implementation plan by Outcome over time. 2 Five point Likert scale is from 0=Emerging Practice to 4=Established Practice. 2 Steps to Complete the Scoring Guide, Consensus Rating Form, and Feedback Form. Total time depends on the Outcome: Outcome 1 approximately 160 minutes; all other Outcomes approximately 120 minutes. 1. Identify the members of the District Leadership Team who will complete the self study. All members of your District Leadership Team should complete the self study. Review Leadership Action 1 on page 5 regarding who should be members of this team. 2. Present overview of the self study to all members of the team. An overview of the self study is available for facilitator use; hardcopy of the powerpoint is included in Appendix A of this document. [Activity length – 5-10 minutes] 3. Review, individually, the content of the Scoring Rubric. Each member of the team should review the content of the documents for the specific outcome the group is rating (e.g., Leadership, Community, School, and so on) [Activity length – 30 minutes for Outcome 1; 15 minutes for all other Outcomes] 4. Discuss as a group any questions as a result of the review Questions should be answered by the facilitator after the overview and document review. [Activity length – 10 minutes] 5. Rate the full Scoring Rubric, individually. Each member of the team should rate each Action independently; this is an opportunity for each person’s voice to be heard. If a member does not know how to rate a specific Action, they may abstain from doing so. [Activity length – 20 minutes for Outcome 1; 10 minutes for all other Outcomes] 6. Vote as a group using the fist of 4 to reach a consensus - There are several steps to consensus voting: [Activity length – 60 minutes for Outcome 1; 30 minutes for all other Outcomes] a. Vote: Begin with Action 1 – ask for each member to vote using the Fist of 4 (fist=0, Index finger=1, 2 fingers=2 and so on) b. Modal Number Identification: Identify the number that is most frequent – the Modal Number (if three members vote 2, five vote 1 and two vote zero, the most frequent number that members voted is 1 – this is the Modal Number) c. Discuss Rationale of the Modal Number: Ask a representative of the Modal Number voting to talk about why he/she voted in this way d. Discuss Rationale of Non-Modal Number(s): Round robin and have other members talk about why they voted in a particular way. e. Vote: Use the Fist of 4 a second time – members may change their votes based on the discussion. f. Record Rating: If there is a Modal Number – this is the consensus rating that is recorded on the Consensus Rating form. ---If consensus is not reached (there is no Modal Number) then continue discussing/voting on the Action until consensus is reached. g. Continue across all Actions: Repeat this process for each Action. 7. Prioritize the Actions and identify 2-3 top priorities for action planning; informally discuss possible next steps/activities. [Activity length – 10-20 minutes] 8. Record the consensus score, priorities, and informal next steps/activities on the Consensus Rating form. [Activity length – 10 minutes] 9. Evaluate the Scoring Rubric, District Self Study Guide, Consensus Rating form and process using the Feedback form [Activity length – 10-15 minutes] 10. Submit 1 of each form to your AEA Network representative: Consensus Rating and Feedback. 3 Scoring Rubric The Scoring Rubric has been developed by outcome and released for use subsequent to established Iowa Core Curriculum vetting procedures. Therefore, it is expected that districts will complete the self study by outcome as subsequent self study rubrics become available, and develop initial implementation plans over time using results from these self studies. Outcome 2: Community Outcome 2 should be completed with guidance from AEA Learning Supports coordinators. Please contact your AEA to obtain specific information regarding how to complete this outcome. Outcome 2 – Community. Community members and other supporting agencies work together to support the implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum. If multiple partners including parents, school boards, business and industry, supporting agencies, and other community entities are interdependent, then schools will function as an integrated system to provide a coordinated approach, consistent communication, additional opportunities for learning, and the ongoing supports needed for students to be successful. There is one target and 3 LEA Actions related to Outcome 2 – Community. Below is a brief overview of the TARGET and LEA Actions for Leadership. TARGET (What are we trying to accomplish?): Coordination of community and other systems to support Iowa Core Curriculum implementation. LEA Actions (What are districts going to do to reach the target?): 1. Community members understand the Iowa Core Curriculum. 2. Community members participate in the development and implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum within the district. 3. Learning supports are coordinated to support the Iowa Core Curriculum. Please remember the steps to complete this rubric as this provides all participants a voice in the process and results. Steps to completing this rubric: 1. Rate each Action independently; 2. Vote as a group using the fist of 4; 3. Discuss the voting differences; 4. Vote a final time to come to a consensus; 5. Record the consensus on Consensus Rating form and submit to the AEA Network representative for your area. 4 Outcome 2: Community members and other supporting agencies work together to support the implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum Target: Coordination of community and other systems to support Iowa Core Curriculum implementation Action 1 - Community members understand the Iowa Core Curriculum Practice in Place 0 None of the components are in place. 1 One component is in place: Two components are in place: Established Practice 4 3 Three components are in place: Possible Evidence All components are in place: A. A. [NOTE – in regards to A and B - the purpose is not to develop a separate vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum, but rather to make certain the vision of the Iowa Core Curriculum is reflected and/or embedded in existing district vision(s)/actions. See Leadership Action 2] 2 Leader(s) including community partners communicate the vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum to stakeholders (see below). A. B. Stakeholders are actively involved in developing and sharing the vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum. B. C. Stakeholders are involved in completion of the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study including the review and analysis of data. D. Stakeholders engage in discussions to develop initial implementation plans. C. D. Leader(s) including community partners communicate the vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum to stakeholders (see below). A. Stakeholders are actively involved in developing and sharing the vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum. Stakeholders are involved in completion of the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study including the review and analysis of data. Stakeholders engage in discussions to develop initial implementation plans. Leader(s) including community partners communicate the vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum to stakeholders (see below). A. B. Stakeholders are actively involved in developing and sharing the vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum. B. Stakeholders are actively involved in developing and sharing the vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum. C. C. Stakeholders are involved in completion of the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study including the review and analysis of data. Stakeholders are involved in completion of the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study including the review and analysis of data. D. D. Stakeholders engage in discussions to develop initial implementation plans. Leader(s) including community partners communicate the vision for the Iowa Core Curriculum to stakeholders (see below). Stakeholders engage in discussions to develop initial implementation plans. ADocumentation of stakeholder membership and attendance at District Leadership Team. BDocumentation of shared presentations of the vision. CDocumentation of community participation in completion of the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study and the review and analysis of result. DDocumentation of participation in initial implementation plan and/or results of focus groups to obtain input from the community. Guiding Questions What are the common “talking points” that should be used with stakeholders? How will the vision be communicated to the community? How will the Leadership Team create awareness and build understanding about the Core Curriculum in the community? Are the 21st century skills being emphasized at every opportunity? What is the plan to communicate information about the planning process with all educators and community constituents? 5 Action 2 - Community members participate in the development and implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum within the district Practice in Place 0 Community involvement exists only in representation on existing stakeholder groups. Stakeholders in Outcome 1, Action 1: 1. Administrators (e.g., superintendent, principal(s) 2. Directors of curriculum, professional development, AEA staff, and/or school improvement 3. Teachers/staff representing various grade levels, and content areas 4. Teachers/staff representing various role groups (e.g., Title I, gifted and talented, special education, and general education) 5. District/AEA staff with expertise in analyzing/interpretin g data and research 6. Parents 7. Students 8. Community 9. Business/industry 1 Full stakeholder involvement across 1 of the following components: A. B. C. D. E. District Leadership Team. Completion of the self study. Development of implementation plan. Communications with the community to help shape and share the vision and the development of the implementation plan. The district has established Community Involvement: 1. linked to 21st Century Skills 2. actively involved in determining how 21st century skills may be linked to real world experiences, 3. that occurs with formal and informal partnership agreements as necessary. 2 Full stakeholder involvement across 2 of the following components: A. B. C. D. E. District Leadership Team. Completion of the self study. Development of implementation plan. Communications with the community to help shape and share the vision and the development of the implementation plan. The district has established Community Involvement 1. linked to 21st Century Skills 2. actively involved in determining how 21st century skills may be linked to real world experiences, 3. that occurs with formal and informal partnership agreements as necessary. Established Practice 4 3 Full stakeholder involvement across 3 of the following components: A. B. C. D. E. District Leadership Team. Completion of the self study. Development of implementation plan. Communications with the community to help shape and share the vision and the development of the implementation plan. The district has established Community Involvement 1. linked to 21st Century Skills 2. actively involved in determining how 21st century skills may be linked to real world experiences, 3. that occurs with formal and informal partnership agreements as necessary. Full stakeholder involvement across the following components: A. B. C. D. E. District Leadership Team. Completion of the self study. Development of implementation plan. Communications with the community to help shape and share the vision and the development of the implementation plan. The district has established Community Involvement 1. linked to 21st Century Skills 2. actively involved in determining how 21st century skills may be linked to real world experiences, 3. that occurs with formal and informal partnership agreements as necessary. Possible Evidence Documentation of community involvement in across all components – pay particular attention to involvement from business community in 21st Century Skill development/implementa tion. Established use of job shadowing, interning, service learning, work study, and career exploration. Documentation that employers, and personnel in community agencies and organizations who work with students focus on Iowa Core concepts and skills. Guiding Questions What groups exist as part of the school district? (e.g., School Board, School Improvement Advisory Committee, Teacher Quality Committee, Parent-Teacher Organization) Who are the stakeholders from business and industry? Are the 21st century skills being emphasized at every opportunity? What are the decision-making structures that are needed to facilitate collaborative work among supporting systems and organizations? What student/teacher/administrative/parent/community data will various groups study to prepare to develop the plan? What processes will be used to engage identified representatives of the community in developing the implementation plan? 6 Action 3 - Learning supports are coordinated to support the Iowa Core Curriculum Practice in Place 0 None of the components are in place Please see the Continuum Mapping Tool in Appendix B for full definitions of each content area - Each AEA has at least one Learning Supports Coordinator who is available to provide technical assistance in completing either the Continuum Mapping Tool or the Resource Mapping Tool. 1 2 3 At least 2 areas are complete in component A, across at least 1 tier in component B; component C may or may not be in place: At least 3 areas are complete in component A, across at least 1 tier in component B; component C may or may not be in place: At least 4 areas are complete in component A, across at least 2 tiers in component B; component C may or may not be in place: The district has established a continuum of quality strategies, programs, services and practices to support student learning with a focus on the following: The district has established a continuum of quality strategies, programs, services and practices to support student learning with a focus on the following: The district has established a continuum of quality strategies, programs, services and practices to support student learning with a focus on the following: A. The six content areas of Learning Supports: A. The six content areas of Learning Supports: A. The six content areas of Learning Supports: 1. Supports for Instruction; 2. Family Supports and Involvement; 3. Community Partnerships; 4. Safe, Healthy and Caring Learning Environments; 5. Supports for Transition; 6. Child and Youth Engagement B. Across a three-tiered intervention framework within each of the 6 content areas: 1. Core; 2. Supplemental; 3. Intensive 1. Supports for Instruction; 2. Family Supports and Involvement; 3. Community Partnerships; 4. Safe, Healthy and Caring Learning Environments; 5. Supports for Transition; 6. Child and Youth Engagement B. Across a three-tiered intervention framework within each of the 6 content areas: 1. Core; 2. Supplemental; 3. Intensive C. Aligned with district and state result areas C. Aligned with district and state result areas (NOTE: result areas are the district outcomes – e.g., for the state one result area is that All K-12 Students will Achieve at a High Level that is then related to several data indicators) (NOTE: result areas are the district outcomes – e.g., for the state one result area is that All K-12 Students will Achieve at a High Level that is then related to several data indicators) 1. Supports for Instruction; 2. Family Supports and Involvement; 3. Community Partnerships; 4. Safe, Healthy and Caring Learning Environments; 5. Supports for Transition; 6. Child and Youth Engagement B. Across a three-tiered intervention framework within each of the 6 content areas: 1. Core; 2. Supplemental; 3. Intensive C. Aligned with district and state result areas (NOTE: result areas are the district outcomes – e.g., for the state one result area is that All K12 Students will Achieve at a High Level that is then related to several data indicators) Established Practice 4 Possible Evidence More than 4 areas are complete in component A, across 3 tiers in component B; component C is in place: A–C Completed Continuum Mapping Tool or Resource Mapping Tool (Appendix B). The district has established a continuum of quality strategies, programs, services and practices to support student learning with a focus on the following: The explicit focus of these supports on the concepts and skills of the Iowa Core and the identified student needs. A. The six content areas of Learning Supports: Evidence of different levels of support or intervention based on student level of need. 1. Supports for Instruction; 2. Family Supports and Involvement; 3. Community Partnerships; 4. Safe, Healthy and Caring Learning Environments; 5. Supports for Transition; 6. Child and Youth Engagement B. Across a three-tiered intervention framework within each of the 6 content areas: 1. Core; 2. Supplemental; 3. Intensive C. Aligned with district and state result areas (NOTE: result areas are the district outcomes – e.g., for the state one result area is that All K-12 Students will Achieve at a High Level that is then related to several data indicators) 7 Guiding Questions What student/teacher/administrative/parent/community data will various groups study to prepare to develop the plan? Are the 21st century skills being emphasized at every opportunity? What activities, programs, services, initiatives and structures are in place to remove barriers and facilitate student learning and development? What data sources are used for determining needs? How will this planning process fit with other district planning processes (CSIP, DINA/SINA, Teacher Quality Committee, etc.)? 8 Consensus Rating DISTRICT______________________________ Outcome 2: Community members and other supporting agencies work together to support the implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum Complete this form by recording the results of consensus rating and discussion in regards to baseline self study results, priorities for action, and initial ideas for next steps/activities Send a copy of this completed form, along with a completed Feedback form, to your AEA Iowa Core Curriculum Network representative. Item Baseline Action 1. Community members understand the Iowa Core Curriculum. 0 1 2 3 4 Action 2. Community members participate in the development and implementation of the Iowa Core Curriculum within the district. 0 1 2 3 4 Action 3. Learning supports are coordinated to support the Iowa Core Curriculum. 0 1 2 3 4 Priorities Initial Ideas for Next Steps/Activities 9 Feedback Form DISTRICT______________________________ Providing feedback on the process of completing the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study is essential to help the state refine this work. To this end, there are built-in feedback procedures for the Iowa Core Curriculum District Self Study for each outcome; it is expected that districts will provide important and salient feedback to the Network and to the Department of Education using these procedures. This feedback will be used to further refine the self study, rubric, process(es), and guidance document. Please submit only ONE self study Feedback Form per district as a consensus discussion. Process (the fist of four process) Products (Scoring Rubric, Consensus Rating Form) What worked? What didn’t? What recommendations do you have? 10 Appendices Appendix B: OUTCOME 2 - Continuum Mapping Tool; Resource Mapping Tool 11 Appendix B Continuum Mapping Tool and Resource Mapping Tool 12 Continuum Mapping Tool - 6 Content Areas of Learning Supports The six content areas of Learning Supports form the structure for organizing, understanding, and selecting research-based interventions intended to address the needs of students who encounter barriers that interfere with their learning at school. Such a structure provides a broad unifying framework within which a school-community continuum of learning support programs and practices can be organized. Each AEA has at least one Learning Supports Coordinator who are available to provide technical assistance in completing either the Continuum Mapping Tool or the Resource Mapping Tool. Complete by indicating the supports available to students in each content area, across the three-tiered continuum. Core Supplemental Intensive Supports for Instruction foster healthy cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. Supports for instruction are inherent in the InstructionalDecision Making process which uses multiple strategies to provide supplemental and intensive supports to ensure that children and youth have the full benefit of quality instruction. Family Supports and Involvement promote and enhance the involvement of parents and family members in education. Community Partnerships promote school partnerships with multiple sectors of the community to build linkages and collaborations for youth development services, opportunities, and supports. Safe, Healthy and Caring Learning Environments promote school-wide environments that ensure the physical and psychological well-being and safety of all children and youth through positive youth development efforts and proactive planning for management of emergencies, crises and follow-up. Child/Youth Engagement promotes opportunities for youth to be engaged in and contribute to their communities. Supports for Transitions enhance the school’s ability to address a variety of transition concerns that confront children, youth and their families. 13 Resource Map for____________________________________________________ Page ____ of____ Personnel Assigned Funding Allocation Personnel Costs Other Expenses Total FTE Number Other (Specify) At-Risk Special Education Eng. Lang. Learners Type General Support for Transitions Population Served Youth Involvement Safe, Healthy, Caring Environments Community Partnerships Family Support & Involvement Intensive Supplemental Core Program, Practice, Service, or Strategy Content Area Supports for Instruction Continuum Name:_____________ Evidenced based?____ Effectiveness Measured?__ Name:_____________ Evidenced based?____ Effectiveness Measured?__ Name:_____________ Evidenced based?____ Effectiveness Measured?__ Name:_____________ Evidenced based?____ Effectiveness Measured?__ Name:_____________ Evidenced based?____ Effectiveness Measured?__ Name:_____________ Evidenced based?____ Effectiveness Measured?__ Name:_____________ Evidenced based?____ Effectiveness Measured?__ Name:_____________ Evidenced based?____ Effectiveness Measured?__ Mark all that apply Mark all that apply List age range/grade level in cell List FTEs List total cost 14