Supporting Schools in Need of Improvement

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Supporting Schools in Need of Improvement Virgini
as System of Support Dr. Kathleen M. Smith,
Director Office of School Improvement
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Why was the support needed?

• In 2007-2008, there was a concern that districts
  with persistently low-performing schools in the
  process of implementing reconstitution plans
  approved by the State Board of Education would
  not be able to self-correct.
• Recognition that more schoolsand more
  districtsmight face the prospect of developing
  and implementing reconstitution plans.
• The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)
  needed to address these concerns within
  limitations of staff time and other resources.

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How did it happen?

• The U.S. Department of Education repurposed the
  regional comprehensive centers to build state
  capacity. The Appalachian Regional Comprehensive
  Center was looking for a way to help VDOE.
• The Center on Innovation and Improvement
  published the Handbook (CII) on Restructuring and
  Substantial School Improvement and was looking
  for a place to test its efficacy.
• The Virginia Foundation for Educational
  Leadership (VFEL) wanted to expand its role in
  building leadership capacity.

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Elements of the First and Second Initiative

• Use of the research-based CIIs Handbook on
  Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement
  for development and implementation of the Web
  conference program and online virtual planning
  tool.
• Emphasis on district support for school
  improvement.
• Leadership support provided at the school-level
  both for the principal and lead teachers.
• Integration with VDOE coaching model, already in
  place, for schools and districts.
• Requirement for the district to lead monthly
  alternative governance meetings at the school.
• Reports regarding district and school progress
  were sent directly to the Virginia Board of
  Educations Committee on School and District
  Accountability.

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How many schools?

• First year.. 19 districts, 30
  schools, mostly
• chronically low-performing
• middle
  schools.
• Second year. 36 schools, both middle
• and
  elementary, all Title I eligible, most
  in school improvement
• and/or
  low-performing.

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Funding for the First and Second Initiative

• State funding (approximately 500,000 each year)
  and federal funding (1003a set aside).
• One full-time and one part-time dedicated staff
  persons.
• Twelve coaches contracted with funding above.

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Research-Based District Indicator Discussed in a
Web Conference and Online Follow-Up

• District and change process
• Indicator The district operates with district-
• level and school-level improvement teams.

The districts had to have a district improvement
planning process to support their lowest
performing schools and the districts had to be
involved in the schools improvement planning
process through the implementation of the
monthly alternative governance meetings. These
processes had to be documented on the district
and school online tool.
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Center on Innovation and Improvements Online Tool

• Afforded the state educational agency (SEA) with
  an opportunity to monitor the school improvement
  planning process through the monthly alternative
  governance meetings virtually.

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Polling Question

• Using the polling tool, indicate if your SEA
• a. Can view the school improvement planning
  process ongoing throughout the year in all of the
  schools that the SEA is working with from the
  desktop.
• b. Regularly reports the progress of
  initiatives undertaken by low-performing schools
  to improve the results of student achievement,
  not just the results, to the State Board of
  Education.
• c. All of the above.
• d. None of the above.

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Results for the First Two Initiatives

• 2007-2008
• Of the 30 schools, 20 or 66 moved out of
  restructuring sanctions by the state or No Child
  Left Behind (NCLB).
• 2008-2009
• Of the 36 schools, preliminary data shows that
  26 or 72 moved out of state and/or NCLB
  sanctions (including corrective action and
  restructuring).

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Third Initiative Beginning in 2009-2010

• Funding--1003(g) 104,000 per school
• Number of Schools 41 districts (73 schools)
• Sanction Year 1 or Year 2 of
  School
• Improvement in 2008-2009 or in
  holding in 2008-2009

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1003g Conditions of Award

• Key word is fidelity. Example
• From a principal
• I received your e-mail yesterday regarding the
  required Breaking Ranks in the Middle (BRIM)
  training.  I was surprised to see there is a
  registration fee of 525 associated with this
  workshop. Unless I have somehow missed something
  somewhere along the way, this is the first
  mention of this registration fee.  Yes, I am
  aware that we have received 104,000 but in
  creating a budget for those funds, I did not
  include this additional expense.  Also, starting
  the training on the second day at 730 a.m. makes
  it more difficult for those who plan to commute
  and thus save hotel and evening meal expenses.

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• SEA Response and Follow-Up Telephone
• Call with the Principal
• The conditions for grant award allow for fidelity
  of implementation. These conditions were
  specific and stated the need for you to attend
  this training.  We have also stated in a
  telephone conference, Web conference, and at the
  institute that if you did not wish to use 1003(g)
  funds for the BRIM training, you could use
  1003(a) as well as Title II funds.
• We cannot make the time convenient for all, but
  we did our best to keep you from having to attend
  2 ½ days and have made sure this training will be
  only two days, thus the training will begin at
  730 a.m. 
• As I stated this summer in an e-mail to you and
  copied to your superintendent, it is not about
  the drive, but about the students in your school
  who have not successfully passed the Standards of
  Learning (SOL) assessments. 
• The need for these students, at least for me, is
  much greater than any drive I would have had to
  make, and I have made many amendments to my
  schedule over the years for the sake of the
  children that I served.  I am sure that you have
  done so as well. 
• I have placed a call to your superintendent to
  discuss this matter and other concerns that you
  may have regarding the conditions of grant awards
  totaling over 300,000 to your district.   If you
  have further questions, please feel free to
  contact me at [phone].  We look forward to
  meeting you at the training.  Kathleen

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District Requirements
District representative will develop a district
support team to include district staff members
from Title I Instruction Special Education ESL
and/or other relevant instructional area (if
needed)
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District Requirements(continued)
District support team will
Attend seven district-level Web conferences
during the year.
Develop and implement a district plan to
support schools in improvement using the CII
tool.
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District Requirements(continued)
District team members will
Meet with the schools in improvement planning
team at least monthly.
Serve as the liaison between the central office
and the schools in improvement.
Note A ratio of one district liaison per three
schools is required.
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School Requirements
Principal and coach will develop a school
support team to include assigned district team
member and school staff members from Title I
Instruction Special Education ESL and/or other
relevant instructional area (if needed)
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School Requirements
(continued)
School support team will
Develop and implement a school plan to support
schools in improvement using the CII tool.
Submit quarterly reports to the VDOE.
Meet at least monthly with the district
representative and will maintain minutes of the
meetings using the CII tool.
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Quarterly Reports Focus on Students Who Failed
the Standards of Learning Assessment in 2008-2009
or At Risk of Failing in 2009-2010

• http//www.vassp.org/Mentor20Coach20Resources.ht
  m

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School Requirements
(continued)
Principal will
Attend Breaking Ranks in the Middle/Elementary
training offered by VFEL. ________________________
_________ Grant funds can be used to pay for this
training. Training will be offered regionally.
Attend seven school-level Web conferences
during the year. ________________________________
_ Coach and other team members should attend if
possible.
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School and DistrictTeacher Training

• Coach and district contact will
• Attend a week-long institute and three additional
  meetings and will be trained by VFEL as teacher
  training leaders.
• Be grouped by districts by VDOE (according to
  proximity and likeness of districts) to provide
  teacher trainings to principals and at least two
  teachers from each school in the group four times
  during the year.
• Note Teachers selected for training sessions
  must be good at
• what they do and capable of serving
  in a leadership capacity
• at the school.

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Coach and District Contact Attend Four Teacher
Leader Trainings One at the Coaches Institute
and three others held in November, January, and
March
Coach and district contact join district groups
pre-determined by VDOE
Teacher Training 1
Teacher Training 2
Teacher Training 3
Teacher Training 4
VDOE staff deployed to assist training
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Polling Question

• Using the polling tool, indicate if your SEA
• Uses coaches or distinguished educators to work
  with schools.
• Requires the district to attend ongoing training
  regarding how to support schools in improvement
  and plan effectively for this purpose and
  requires the district to train lead teachers and
  principals.
• Requires district staff to participate in and/or
  lead the schools improvement team.
• Uses a quarterly monitoring tool that focuses on
  the students who failed the assessments
• At least 2 of the above activities.
• Uses all of the above.

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Demonstration of School Support System

• Contact
• Sam Redding sredding_at_adi.org
• Marilyn Murphy mmurphy_at_centerii.org
• Visit their Web site at www.centerii.org
• Or
• Kathleen.Smith_at_doe.virginia.gov
• [phone]

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• The contents of this presentation were developed
  under a grant from the U.S. Department of
  Education. However, those contents do not
  necessarily represent the policy of the
  Department of Education, and you should not
  assume endorsement by the federal government.