Characteristics of Improving School Districts Themes from Research

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Characteristics of Improving School Districts
Themes from Research

• October 2004
• G. Sue Shannon and Pete Bylsma
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

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Context

• No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requires districtto
  be accountable for all students
• Many districts projected not to make AYP
• All groups must meet annual targets
• More tested grades means more targets to meet
• Rapidly increasing targets, reach 100 in 2014
• Sanctions occur rapidly at district level
• District improvement plan required when not
  making AYP 2 years in a row in same grade/subject

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District Improvement Plan

• Plan must be developed within 3 months of being
  identified for improvement
• Must include staff, parents, and others
• Plan must be implemented by the beginning of the
  next year
• 10 of district Title I funds must be set aside
  for professional development activities for
  teachers working with groups not making AYP
  target
• Technical assistance provided by state must be
  research-based

4
Table Exercise

• What makes a good school district?
• Individually think of and note 2 or 3
  characteristics
• Share your ideas at your table
• Each table shares an idea with the whole group

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Study Methodology

• Synthesis of about 80 research studies looking at
  districts as unit of analysis and change
• In-depth analysis of 23 studies
• Identification of 13 themes
• Confirmation of themes unique to districts
• Applied differently in districts compared to
  schools
• Development of definitions and discussion
• Questions for dialogue and reflection

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Report Overview

• Emerging Themes
• Conceptual Framework
• Definitions Discussion
• Reflective Questions
• Resource Lists

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CHARACTERISTICS OF IMPROVED SCHOOL DISTRICTS
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Quality Teaching and Learning
High Expectations and Accountability for Adults
Coordinated and Aligned Curriculum and Assessment
Coordinated Embedded Professional Development
Quality Classroom Instruction
Effective Leadership
Sustained Improvement Efforts Over Time
Focus on All Students Learning
Improvement
Dynamic Distributed Leadership
Clear and Collaborative Relationships
Support for Systemwide Improvement
Professional Culture Collaborative Relationships
Effective Use of Data
Clear Understanding of School District Roles
Responsibilities
Strategic Allocation of Resources
Policy and Program Coherence
Interpreting and Managing the External Environment
Time
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Table Jigsaw

• In table groups pick a facilitator recorder
• Read assigned characteristic summary
• Discuss
• Insights from the research
• Challenges facing districts regarding theme
• Strategies to meet those challenges
• Record key points on chart paper and report
  briefly to whole group

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Themes from Research

• Effective Leadership
• Focus on Student Learning
• Dynamic/Distributed Leadership
• Sustain Improvement Efforts

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Effective Leadership

• Focus on Student Learning
• Focus on all students learning to high standards
• Share beliefs values, have clear goals, shared
  vision of change
• Hold all district staff, programs operations
  responsible for student learning

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Effective Leadership

• Dynamic/Distributed Leadership
• Exhibit dynamic leadership, united in purpose,
  visible in schools, interested in instruction
• Expand to encompass central office, principals,
  teachers leaders others
• Provide moral leadership that moves from talking
  to doing, to endure students learn

12
Effective Leadership

• Sustain Improvement Efforts
• View educational improvement as long-term
  commitment processes
• Persevere, persist, stay the course
• Help staff internalize the changes

13
Themes from Research

• Quality Teaching and Learning
• High Expectations Accountability for Adults
• Coordinated Aligned Curriculum Assessment
• Coordinated Embedded Professional Development
• Quality Classroom Instruction

14
Quality Teaching and Learning

• High Expectations Accountability for Adults
• Hold all adults accountable for student learning
• Expect excellence, monitor performance, provide
  feedback
• Make high expectations part of personnel decisions

15
Quality Teaching and Learning

• Coordinated Aligned Curriculum Assessment
• Align curriculum with standards, assessment,
  policies
• Centralize coordinate curriculum approaches
  decisions
• Use multiple measure to assess learning

16
Quality Teaching and Learning

• Coordinated Embedded Professional Development
• Provide high quality, ongoing professional
  development focused on classroom instruction
• Include school-based coaching support for
  instruction
• Support professional development based on
  teaching learning needs in schools

17
Quality Teaching and Learning

• Quality Classroom Instruction
• Pay close attention to instruction, provide
  guidance oversight to improve teaching
  learning
• Develop a common vision of good instruction
• Monitor instruction, curriculum, changes in
  practice

18
Themes from Research

• Support for Systemwide Improvement
• Effective Use of Data
• Strategic Allocation of Resources
• Policy and Program Coherence

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Support for Systemwide Improvement

• Effective Use of Data
• Use data to monitor results, equity,
  accountability, for resource allocation
• Use data for instructional decisions
  professional development
• Provide time training to staff to use data

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Support for Systemwide Improvement

• Strategic Allocation of Resources
• Provide, allocate, reallocate, find resources
  for quality instruction
• Provide additional resources to support low
  performers
• Give schools flexibility within parameters for
  resource use

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Support for Systemwide Improvement

• Policy and Program Coherence
• Develop implement policies that promote equity
  excellence
• Review revise policies as needed to link
  programs practices to goals ensure coherence
• Monitor coherence of actions programs to
  district focus, goals

22
Themes from Research

• Clear Collaborative Relationships
• Professional Culture Collaborative
  Relationships
• Clear Understanding of School District Roles
  Responsibilities
• Interpreting Managing the External Environment

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Clear and Collaborative Relationships

• Professional Culture Collaborative
  Relationships
• Build a culture of mutual respect, collaboration,
  trust, shared responsibility
• Support school communities of practice for
  continuous learning for adults
• Develop central offices as professional learning
  communities

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Clear and Collaborative Relationships

• Clear Understanding of School District Roles
  Responsibilities
• Set expectations, decentralize responsibility,
  serve as change agents
• Support learning, serve as mentors help seek
  solutions
• Balance district authority with school
  flexibility autonomy

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Clear and Collaborative Relationships

• Interpreting Managing the External Environment
• Analyze, interpret, mediate state federal
  policy with local policy
• Buffer schools external disturbances internal
  distractions
• Mobilize community business support
• Involve family community