DCPS School Improvement Newsletter – October

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August 2012 www.duvalschools.org/schoolimprovement

Featured Article: From “F” to “A” the Woodson Way

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IN THIS ISSUE PRINCIPAL FOCUS: FROM “F” TO

“A” THE WOODSON WAY Page 2

DA CHECKLIST QUICK LEARNING

GUIDE Page 4

DOES MORE SCHOOL TIME RESULT IN

INCREASED STUDENT

PERFORMANCE? Page 6

INCREASE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

WITH FLORIDA’S CONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT MODEL Page 8

SERVICE REQUESTS Page 10

TIMELINE Page 10

YOUR SUPPORT TEAM Page 11

International Walk to School Day at Enterprise Elementary

Highlands Middle Team at Open House Northwestern Beautification

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

October 2012 www.duvalschools.org/schoolimprovement

MONTHLY

NEWSLETTER

AND BEST

PRACTICES

DCPS OFFICE OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT (904) 924-3722

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“I know that all parents want the best for their children, and that many are not willing to place their children in schools they believe they are entitled to. I also know that those personal choices pose a threat to public education because increasingly, those with resources and privilege are opting out of public education, and as they do, they leave the system more segregated and bereft of those who have the wherewithal to insist upon quality.” Pedro Noguera

The sentiments in this quote echo the beliefs of Principal Cheryl Quarles-Gaston of Carter G. Woodson Elementary and are the basis for the change that has occurred since she became principal at the school. Mrs. Quarles-Gaston and her leadership team embraced a belief in Equity that helped move them from Turnaround status to a Reward school with an “A” grade. Mrs. Quarles-Gaston, upon entering Woodson in 2007, knew that the students who were “left behind” deserved the same resources and opportunities that were being offered with other choice options. The survival of public schools rests on their ability to provide the same level of instruction and preparation, not because it was a competition, but because it is what is best for the children. What she didn’t know was how the triage of strategies she intended to implement was going to make the difference for the children, parents and the

community she was now serving.

In 2007, Woodson was identified by the state as an “F” school. Mrs. Quarles-Gaston was brought in from John Love (a school she had guided from a “C” to just 8 points from an “A”) and was charged with turning the school around. She brought with her people she knew shared her work ethic and her belief, “It’s all about the children.” One of those people was the head custodian, Mr. Cedric Stroy. Mrs. Quarles-Gaston knew that Mr. Stroy would embrace the new school, the students and community as whole in a way that would make her job easier. She knew she could count on him to guide and mentor the children and build a positive rapport with the faculty and staff. So with the help of the individuals she brought from John Love and the dedicated staff at Carter G. Woodson, Mrs. Quarles-Gaston set out to create the change she hoped would make the difference for her school.

After her first year, Woodson made more than 70 points in learning gains, moving from an “F” to a “D,” followed by three consecutive years of earning a “C.” During that time, Mrs. Quarles-Gaston implemented policies and procedures that affected the culture of the school, like school uniforms and a dress code for parents/guardians entering the school.

Principal Focus: From “F” to “A” the Woodson Way By Carla Taylor, School Improvement Specialist

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She overcame barriers of low attendance to afterschool and Saturday enrichment programs by providing transportation. She addressed the lack of motivation at FCAT testing time by offering cash incentives to those students scoring 3 or higher. The plan was so successful that with the help of business partners, she was able to give away more than $10,000! With the decision to become a Medical Magnet school came a renewed effort to ramp up the school’s curriculum with relevant, rigorous instruction based on inquiry, accountable talk and the Common Core Standards.

Although moving her school from an “F” to a “C” was a tremendous accomplishment, Mrs. Quarles-Gaston knew her students had the capacity to take their school much farther. Instead of looking outside the school for the latest software or learning strategy, she decided the faculty and staff needed to look within for ways to help their school achieve at their highest level, which leads back to Pedro Noguera. Mrs. Quarles-Gaston had an opportunity to hear Mr. Noguera speak on Equity and the Opportunity Gap and one point stuck with her, “do what you can for the children between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm and stop with the blame game.” Mrs. Quarles-Gaston knew that the students, parents and teachers who remained at Carter G. Woodson Elementary deserved success and it was up to the school staff to help them realize it. With the help of

the leadership team, including assistant principal Katie Adkins, they began facilitating professional learning for the faculty, focused on discovering personal biases and beliefs and how those feelings may affect the way they teach their students. Mrs. Quarles-Gaston got many of her ideas from the book, “Using Equity Audits in the Classroom to Reach and Teach All Students,” by Katherine B. McKenzie and Linda E. Skria. She even used the book as part of a voluntary book study last year with her faculty. The conversations that came from this “look within” strategy have made a huge impact on the “Woodson Way” of reaching and teaching all of their students. The result of this hard work and thoughtful reflection is evident on the 2011-12 FCAT. The students of Carter G. Woodson made 92 learning gain points, with 95% of the students making gains in reading. The students, faculty, and staff have done what Mrs. Quarles-Gaston knew they could do: make Carter G. Woodson an “A” school.

Principal Focus: From “F” to “A” the Woodson Way By Carla Taylor, School Improvement Specialist

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The DA Checklist – Quick Learning Guide By Raymond Carver, School Improvement Specialist

The DA Checklist can be quite confusing – Evidence of Compliance, Compliance, Non-Compliance, Strategies to Attain

Compliance, Person Responsible, and Expected Date of Completion. What do all of these topics mean? How do you know

what constitutes compliance, what evidence is acceptable, which columns should be completed, and when is it due? Please

follow these guidelines to find the answers to these questions and ease the task of completing the DA Checklist.

What is the Evidence of Compliance dear Dr. Watson?

The State gives good guidance under DA Requirements and Deliverables

The key here is to list actual evidence that you have that illustrates that the school is meeting the

expectations as defined under the DA Requirements and Deliverables sections.

o The evidence then should go under the respective tab in your DA Notebook or notate in the DA

Notebook where the evidence can be found.

Compliance Status to be or not to be – that is the question.

Select Compliance when you have evidence of the deliverable or requirement following the guidelines

stated above.

o If compliance is stopped during the year, Non-Compliance will need to be selected.

Mark Non-Compliance when you do not have evidence of the deliverable.

Don’t mark anything if the compliance date is in the future (e.g., mid-year Report, mid-year staffing)

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The DA Checklist – Quick Learning Guide By Raymond Carver, School Improvement Specialist

The formation of Strategies to Obtain Compliance

This section should be completed when Non-Compliance is checked or if nothing is checked.

Use the DA Requirements and Deliverables as guidance.

Ask yourself – What needs to be done to obtain compliance? Then summarize that into a brief description.

Who should be the Person Responsible?

This section should be completed only when Non-Compliance is checked or nothing is checked.

The person responsible should be able to monitor and direct the process to become and maintain

compliance.

Predicting the Expected Date of Completion

This section should be only completed when Non-Compliance is checked or nothing is checked.

Usually, the State indicates a due date in the Requirements or Deliverable section.

o If not, then it is advisable to use a realistic date when the requirement or deliverable is expected

to be completed.

The following is some extra guidance with the DA Checklist:

If you are Compliant, sections don’t have to be completed. Make sure you have the Evidence.

Please completely fill out the header section of the DA Checklist.

The State requires monthly updates to the checklist, and the updates must be uploaded to www.flbsi.org under the

last tab in the SIP template titled Part III: Final Budget & Compliances – Differentiated Accountability.

o Updates are due the end of each month -- *remember to update the date in the header.

o The Office of School Improvement will periodically check your monthly uploads and DA Notebook

If you do not have a complete DA Notebook, contact the Office of School Improvement.

If you have any questions, contact the Office of School Improvement at (904)924-3722.

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Researchers around the nation will insist that extending

the school year or school day will result in increased

student performance. Some research supports this and

some does not. What do you think?

Schools across the nation are faced with a crisis in

education with students performing lower than students

in other global economies. Policymakers are burning the

midnight oil trying to fix the state of our educational

system. All over the country school districts are

researching best practices trying to find a remedy to fix

the problem. One strategy that has become widespread

is providing students additional instruction by extending

the school year or school day. By extending the school

day, students are given more instructional time in core

content academics such as reading, math or science. In

return, schools are hoping for an increase in student

performance on district and state assessments.

As educators, we want our students to obtain grade

level skills in order for them to be successful in school

and beyond. Therefore we are in support of strategies or

initiatives that promote increasing students’ knowledge.

So we have to ask does more school time equal more

learning resulting in increased student performance.

Research findings suggest extending the school day can

be an effective way to support student learning,

particularly those students at risk of failing. Currently,

Duval County Public Schools has seventeen schools

extending their school day. Thirteen of these schools fall

under requirements in the School Improvement Grant

(SIG) which requires elementary schools to extend the

day for 60 minutes and 45 minutes in middle and high

schools, while the remaining four schools are required to

do so under the ruling for the 100 lowest performing

elementary schools in the state. Their school day has

been extended by 60 minutes due to low performance

on the state reading assessment. The additional time for

SIG schools was determined based on the goals set forth

in the grant; however the extra hour for the schools

falling under the state’s ruling has to be reading.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) surveyed

states on their experience with the implementation of

SIG. They found that 26 states said they didn’t think they

would be able to sustain the program’s extended

learning time reforms after the grant expires. Only 10

said they would be able to keep it. Federal funding is a

huge factor in implementing the extended time schools

are receiving and a question to ponder is this, if more

school time truly resulted in more learning, will the

programs continue to be funded? If all stakeholders

expect increases in students’ performance, why would

we allow a lack of funding to stop students from

accelerating? As the research suggests, adequate

funding is essential to maintain the additional time.

Does More School Time Result in Increased Student Performance? By Nikesha White, Reporting Specialist

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It also states the instructional time has to be used

effectively in order to produce the desired learning

outcomes. The time should include focused instruction

which should be designed based on students’ need after

careful review of their data. Specific goals should be

determined and outlined which address the needs of the

population of students being targeted. What additional

materials or curriculum will be used? How will the time

be structured? Are we utilizing our time effectively?

Also, are the teachers and administrators committed?

Do we have the support of our parents and community?

Will the students become burned out by the testing

season? These are just a few questions that should be

considered.

All of our schools have shown some type of increase in

student achievement and an outstanding job in utilizing

the additional time. Some have even received local

accolades for turning around a school in one year. Is it

safe to say that the increase in student performance was

solely due to an extension of the school day? Could it be

that our administrators, coaches and teachers have

gotten proficient at targeting our students and

instructing them based on the data? All of these are

possible factors and no one could possibly say one is not

contingent upon the other. There have been reported

benefits of providing students more instructional time.

More instruction in those targeted core content areas

could possibly result in higher state assessment scores,

which results in increased student performance,

resulting further in a decrease in the number of lower

performing schools.

The connection between extending the school day and

learning is not forthright and the argument is very

compelling. Positive results could be directly related to

the extended school day or the fact that educators are

fine tuning their craft. However, it may in fact depend on

how effective the learning time is being utilized. Are we

really focused on student learning? Is it a waste of

taxpayers’ dollars? Are we engaging students and

making learning fun? Are best practices being utilized or

are we doing what we THINK is best? We can conclude

that time is necessary for all things and the more time

we have the better we become. Since we have been

granted additional instructional time for each child that

walks through our doors we have to do what is best

which is to provide a high quality educational

opportunity that will inspire all students to acquire and

use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a

global economy and culturally diverse world; and that is

doing what is best for all children.

Does More School Time Result in Increased Student Performance? (cont.) By Nikesha White, Reporting Specialist

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if

you just sit there." Will Rogers

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Ever wish there was a

guaranteed way to increase

student achievement? There is!

It’s called the Florida Continuous

Improvement Model or FCIM.

FCIM is a proven, evidence-

based practice that provides

schools a process to use

assessment results to improve

teaching and learning. The

evidence base for FCIM

incorporates Effective Schools

Correlates, Total Quality

Management (TQM), Baldrige

Core Educational Values, and

the Continuous Improvement

Model (CIM) developed by Dr.

Gerald Anderson and Patricia

Davenport based on their

experiences in Brazosport,

Texas and explained in the book:

Closing the Achievement Gap:

No Excuses (2002). FCIM

guides schools through a series

of steps designed to target low-

performing academic areas for

the purpose of providing

additional focused instruction and to

increase student achievement.

FCIM is part of the Multi-Tiered

System of Support (MTSS)

/Response to Instruction/

Intervention (RtI) and is designed

to be implemented with Tier I

instruction (academic and

behavior/social-emotional).Tier 1

instruction includes the district’s

Core Curriculum and Standards

(i.e., Next Generation Sunshine

State/NGSSS, Common Core State

Standards) and is designed for

“ALL” students.

FCIM COMPONENTS

FCIM is based on the Plan, Do,

Check, Act (PDCA) cycle. PDCA

concepts are simplistic, but highly

effective. The components of the

FCIM process are organized by

PDCA in the following manner:

PLAN

1. Data Disaggregation – regular analysis of assessment data (e.g.,

Benchmark, FAIR) to determine strengths and weaknesses of student performance in order to identify the lowest-performing benchmarks or skills that need additional instruction.

2. Instructional Focus Calendar – development of a time frame with specific dates identified to conduct Focus Lessons, Mini-Assessment, and Tutorials/Enrichment activities designed to strengthen the targeted benchmarks. Usually an FCIM cycle is completed in 5-10 days, but it may vary depending on the academic intensity required.

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3. Instructional Focus Lessons – thoughtfully planned and explicit instruction on targeted benchmarks featured on the Instructional Focus Calendar. Lessons may be conducted daily for 10-15 minutes.

Increase Student Achievement with Florida’s Continuous Improvement Model By Teresa Logan, District Level Resource

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Increase Student Achievement with Florida’s Continuous Improvement Model By Teresa Logan, District Level Resource

CHECK

4. Mini-Assessment – short assessment of benchmark or skill featured in Focus Lessons to determine student mastery or non-mastery. Various Mini-Assessments may be used (e.g., Pearson’s Insight, http://www.florida-achieves.com).

5. Maintenance – periodic activities designed to strengthen previously taught benchmarks to ensure mastery is maintained (e.g., reviews, learning centers, engaging games, warm up, teachable moments).

6. Monitoring – continual oversight of the implementation of FCIM to ensure that all components are implemented with fidelity and that student achievement is increased.

ACT

7. Tutorials and Enrichment – enrichment activities are assigned to students who demonstrate mastery on the Mini-Assessment to fortify their understanding of the targeted benchmark and tutorials are conducted with students who do not demonstrate mastery to ensure they obtain critical understanding of the benchmark and grade level content. Tutorial students are re-assessed to check that mastery is finally met.

For more information on FCIM,

please contact your Office of School

Improvement at 904-924-3722

Engaging in Problem

Solving Entails:

Accessing and accurately

interpreting data

Planning purposeful and

data-driven meetings where

tasks are systematically

assigned and processes

followed

Reviewing data to refine and

adjust practices

Creating school-based

infrastructure to support all

learners (e.g., common

planning, time for

intervention /enrichment,

etc.)

Setting goals and monitoring

progress towards goals

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Customer Service – Helping You Meet Your Goals

The Office of School Improvement is dedicated to providing you with excellent customer service. Our goal is to make sure you have the timely support needed to meet each of your goals. Our website is www.duvalschools.org/schoolimprovement . On the website you will find reference guides to assist you with school improvement processes. If you need a school improvement expert to connect with your school, there is a contact request form on the website as well. Click here to access the form. Anyone in the district can request school improvement services by using the online form or by calling (904)924-3722.

Currently there are 12 service categories you can select from:

DA - Differentiated Accountability requirements

Data Analysis - support with all aspects of data analysis

FCIM - Florida’s Continuous Improvement Model support and training

FLDOE - Support with state compliance

Monitoring Plans and Processes - Methods of

ensuring that improvement is occurring

Professional Development - Face to face or

online professional learning opportunities

SAC - School Advisory Council support

SIG - School Improvement Grant support

SIP Implementation - School Improvement Plan

development, implementation and monitoring

Title I Support Services - Support and enhanced

Professional Development

Turnaround - Funding and volunteer assistance

Other - Support needed in other areas of school

improvement

DUE DATES

October 1 SIPs due to cluster leader

October 19 Final approved SIPs uploaded into

the template at www.flbsi.org

October 19 Final SAC rosters, bylaws August/September

minutes due to the Office of School Improvement

November 5 School Board Meeting including

approval of SIPs and SACs

10th of Each Month SAC minutes for the previous month should be emailed to

[email protected]

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Office of School Improvement Team

Niki Micheau

Supervisor

(904) 924-3722 ext 262

[email protected]

Lillie B. Granger, Ph.D. Executive Director

(904) 924-3728

[email protected]

Pat Carley

Coordinator

(904) 924-3722 ext 264

[email protected]

Raymond Carver, Ed.D.

Specialist, Data Analyst

(904) 924-3722 ext 251

[email protected]

Patricia Conner

Specialist, Data Analyst

(904) 924-3722 ext 255

[email protected]

Teresa Logan

Specialist, Restructuring

(904) 924-3722 ext 246

[email protected]

Vontrena Myers Specialist, Reporting

(904) 924-3722 ext 191

[email protected]

Darren Smith

Specialist, Data Analyst

(904) 924-3722 ext 253

[email protected]

Carla Taylor

Specialist, Reporting

(904) 924-3722 ext 258 [email protected]

Cheryl Taylor

Specialist, Data Analyst

(904) 924-3722 ext 254

[email protected]

Nikesha White

Specialist, Reporting

(904) 924-3722 ext 250

[email protected]

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT OFFICE

School Improvement Suite

Northwestern Middle School

School Mail: 3155A – OSI

2100 West 45th Street

Jacksonville, Florida 32209

Office: (904)924-3722

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!

We are looking for best practices to

share in our newsletter. If you have a

story to share about your school or

classroom, please email us at

[email protected]