Office of Achievement and Accountability Division of School Evaluation and Accountability School Effectiveness Review Samuel F.B. Morse Elementary June 1-2, 2011 100 Cummings Center, Suite 236C Beverly, Massachusetts 01915 www.schoolworks.org 200 East North Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21202 www.baltimorecityschools.org
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School Effectiveness Review - Baltimore City Public Schools
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Office of Achievement and Accountability
Division of School Evaluation and Accountability
School Effectiveness Review
Samuel F.B. Morse Elementary
June 1-2, 2011
100 Cummings Center, Suite 236C Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
The goal of the School Effectiveness Review (SER) is to provide an objective and research-based analysis of
the work schools are doing to impact student achievement. Based on research and school-level best
practices, four core values were identified for review: highly effective instruction, talented people, engaged
families and community, and strategic leadership. In addition, a rubric was created to determine the extent
to which each core value and accompanying key actions are being implemented. Each of these core values
closely aligns with core values held by City Schools for great school leaders and great teachers1 and is
observable in a set of key actions. Together, these core values, key actions, and supporting indicators form
the City Schools’ School Effectiveness Standards.
An SER team, comprised of representatives from SchoolWorks (an educational consulting company) and
representatives from City Schools who have extensive knowledge about schools and instruction, gathered
information from teachers, students, parents, and leadership during a two-day site visit. During the visit, the
SER team observed classrooms, reviewed selected school documents, and conducted focus groups and
interviews with school leadership, teachers, students, and parents. The SER team analyzed evidence
collected over the course of the SER to determine the extent to which key actions have been adopted and
implemented at the school. This report summarizes the ratings in the four core values and key actions,
provides evidence to support the ratings, and – based on a rubric – allocates a performance level for each
key action. More information about the SER process is detailed in the School Effectiveness Review protocol,
available upon request from SchoolWorks and/or City Schools.
School Background
Samuel F.B. Morse Elementary School serves approximately 358 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth
grade. The school is located on South Pulaski Street in the Carrollton Ridge Neighborhood of Baltimore,
Maryland – more commonly known as Southwest Baltimore. The principal has been at the school for six
years as assistant principal and has officially served as principal since January 2011. The following tables
provide information about the school’s student demographics and student achievement data.
Due to extreme weather conditions, Baltimore City Public Schools were dismissed early on the first day of the School Effectiveness Review site visit to Samuel F.B. Morse Elementary School, June 1, 2011.
1 Core values for great school leaders are defined by the draft effectiveness standards for school leaders; core values for great
teachers are defined by City Schools’ draft instructional framework. Given that these standards are still emerging, the School Effectiveness Standards will be revised during the summer of 2011 to reflect the greatest degree of alignment possible among all three sets of standards.
1.3 Teachers use multiple data sources to adjust practice. Emerging
1.4 School leadership supports highly effective instruction. Not Effective
1.5 Teachers establish a classroom environment in which teaching and learning can occur. Highly Effective
Core value 2: Talented people
2.1 The school creates and implements systems to select, develop, and retain effective teachers and staff whose skills and beliefs represent the diverse needs of all students.
Emerging
2.2 The school has created and implemented systems to evaluate teachers and staff against individual and school-wide goals, provide interventions to those who are not meeting expectations, and remove those who do not make reasonable improvement.
Emerging
Core value 3: Engaged families and community
3.1 The school provides a safe and supportive learning environment for students, families, teachers, and staff.
Effective
3.2 The school cultivates and sustains open communication and decision-making opportunities with families about school events, policies, and the academic and social development of their children.
Not Effective
3.3 The culture of the school reflects and embraces student, staff, and community diversity. Emerging
Core value 4: Strategic leadership
4.1 The school establishes growth goals that guide strategic planning, teaching, and adjusting of practice to meet student needs.
Not Effective
4.2 The school allocates and deploys the resources of time, staff talent, and funding to address the priorities of growth goals for student achievement.
Emerging
4.3 The school provides regular opportunities for teachers and staff to engage in job embedded, collaborative planning and adjustment of practice.
The school has retained a significant number of staff over a long period of time. In focus groups,
teachers reported working at Morse Elementary School from 20 to 39 years and enjoying their work
at the school. Those same teachers also mentioned feeling valued and appreciated by the school’s
leadership. Document review of the school profile confirmed that 56.6% of the teachers have 10 or
more years of experience.
School leadership does not leverage a pipeline for teacher recruitment. While the school does not
currently have great recruitment needs, there is no process for reaching out to potential recruits
beyond the usual BCPS hiring fair. The BCPS hiring fair is the school’s only recruiting mechanism.
There is also no process for bringing the greater school community into hiring decisions. In a focus
group, parents reported that they are not aware of how they might be involved in hiring.
School leadership has not created mentoring and/or other induction programs to support teacher
and staff development. Leaders and teachers reported that there is no formal mentoring process;
also, any mentoring that does happen is based on ad hoc relationships. In focus groups, teachers
reported that, upon arriving at the school, they were left on their own to navigate the school and its
resources.
The school conducts formal evaluations for all teachers. Morse Elementary School is in compliance
with the BCPS Performance-Based Evaluation System (PBES). Document review of the school’s
evaluations confirmed that the school completed all formal evaluations. In focus groups, teachers
reported that they have all been evaluated in accordance with PBES.
School leadership has not created structures for feedback and evaluation aligned to school-wide
goals and initiatives in order to increase the capacity of teachers and other staff. The SER team
found neither document nor interview evidence articulating the school-wide professional
development goals for teachers and staff. Although the SPP indicated that balanced literacy and
tiered interventions would be a focus for improvement at the school this year, there was no
documentation or classroom evidence that either was in place or guiding teacher feedback or
professional development.
Families do not provide data to assist school leadership in determining whether the school is
meeting the needs of students. In focus groups, school leaders, teachers, and parents reported that
there is no established parent teacher organization (PTO) at Morse Elementary School. The SER
team acknowledged that recent theft of funds by a PTO member had been a significant setback;
however, it is important to note that, at the time of the site visit, there was no plan to reestablish
the PTO.
Key action 2.1: The school creates and implements systems to select, develop, and retain effective teachers and staff whose skills and beliefs represent the diverse needs of all students.
Emerging
Key action 2.2: The school has created and implemented systems to evaluate teachers and staff against individual and school-wide goals, provide interventions to those who are not meeting expectations, and remove those who do not make reasonable improvement.
The school addresses the needs of students in social and emotional crisis. Morse Elementary School
lost two beloved staff members this school year. School leadership reported that, after both of
these deaths, the school provided a grief counselor for students. Teachers also reported that, to
help students most affected by those losses, a girls club had been established to support one
another. School leadership also reported that the school has had strong relationships with Hope
Health – an organization that address social/emotional needs of students – and Kennedy Keirger
Hospital, whose staff has expertise working with Baltimore youth in crises.
Students, staff, and families reported feeling emotionally and physically safe at the school. In a focus
group, students reported that they feel physically and emotionally safe at the school. They cited the
locked doors and controlled front entry as important to the school’s safety. Students suggested that
they were emotionally safe when they reported that they can go to anyone at the school for help
with any problem. Students added that bullying is not a significant problem stating, “If someone is
bothering you, another student will find a teacher to help you.” In a focus group, parents confirmed
that the school is a safe place for the children. Teachers also reported that the school was safe.
The school recognizes and celebrates student success. Students received PBIS certificates for
positive behavior in observed classrooms; also, classrooms featured a PBIS visual display board of
students who behaved positively. Students reported that their good behavior is also recognized in
school announcements. Teachers and students reported that the school hosts quarterly student
celebrations, rewarding students for helpfulness, good citizenship, and academic achievement.
The school does not use multiple strategies to regularly communicate progress toward school-wide
goals and initiatives. Leadership reported, and document review confirmed, that flyers are sent
home in student backpacks. Students and teachers also reported that individual teachers reach out
to parents and families by telephone. However, in interviews, teachers and the principal stated that
the school newsletter, the Morse Code, has not been published since January.
Families are not active participants in school events and culture. In focus groups, school leaders,
parents, and teachers all confirmed that parent involvement is very limited and is a continuing
challenge at Morse Elementary School. The same focus groups indicated that only 14 parents
participated in a school-wide spaghetti dinner and that only 4 or 5 parents attended parent/teacher
conferences.
The school does not have opportunities for families to participate in school-wide decisions. School
leadership, teachers, and parents all reported that the school’s PTO is currently defunct and needs
to be re-established. Parents interviewed by the SER team also did not report any knowledge of the
SPP, achievement goals, or teacher recruitment strategy.
Key action 3.1: The school provides a safe and supportive learning environment for students, families, teachers, and staff.
Effective
Key action 3.2: The school cultivates and sustains open communication and decision-making opportunities with families about school events, policies, and the academic and social development of their children.
School leadership is not guided by an action plan that is based on data related to student learning,
attendance, or behavior. The SER team found no evidence that Morse Elementary School has
implemented its current SPP. For example, interviews did not reveal a focus on balanced literacy or
tiered interventions, despite their importance to the SPP. As noted above, tiered interventions are
not in place at this time.
Teachers and staff do not participate in regular analysis of data and adjustment of growth goals. The
SPP features 10% growth goals, but neither the school’s leadership nor teachers referred to the
goals outlined by the plan. In focus groups, teachers and leaders did not report revisiting the SPP
goals or readjustment of targets based on student performance. While weekly data analysis by
grade-level teams shows evidence of a positive practice, there is no evidence that this data analysis
is connected to SPP goals. Document review did not reveal any evidence of school staff readjusting
student performance goals.
Families, community members, teachers, and students do not participate in initiatives to establish
school-wide goals, to improve teaching and learning, and to adjust practice. When asked about
school improvement planning in interviews, school leadership reported that only the leadership
team met during the summer to plan. In focus groups, teachers could not articulate a process for
moving improvements forward and reported that staff members do not participate in a broad-based
planning process.
The school’s schedule maximizes time on student learning. The SER team observed that in 93% of
classes observed, teachers spent less than 10% of their time on transitions. Document review of the
school schedule revealed that there is common planning time for all grade levels. In focus groups,
staff reported there they have sufficient time to plan and meet with their colleagues, formally and
informally.
School leadership is not leveraging teacher and staff talent. The SER team observed a wealth of
expertise, experience, and knowledge among the school’s veteran staff. However, without first
tapping the school’s internal expertise or developing its capacity to meet goals set by the SPP,
leadership reported that it is looking for a full-time IST to focus on literacy.
While teachers and staff make many individual efforts to improve the school, they are not
collectively using their time, talent, and funding to address a commonly held set of school priorities.
Various individual teachers reported that they organize fashion and talent shows, write multiple
grants, and mentor students. While commendable, these efforts are not connected to common
goals.
Key action 4.1: The school establishes growth goals that guide strategic planning, teaching, and adjusting of practice to meet student needs.
Not Effective
Key action 4.2: The school allocates and deploys the resources of time, staff talent, and funding to address the priorities of growth goals for student achievement.
School leadership facilitates collaboration. The SER team observed, and evidence from documents
and focus groups confirmed, that independent teams meet to examine their data. However, this
effective practice is not maximized by monitoring what teachers do to change their instructional
practice.
While some teachers and staff work together on improving classroom practice, their efforts are not
guided by a commonly held set of priorities for improving curricula, instruction, and assessment.
Just a few staff members organize school-wide events like a school fashion show, while other staff
members write successful grants for their own classroom. Teachers and leaders also reported that
the school committees that compose the school improvement team (attendance, hospitality,
technical, and PBIS) last met in January and – since the departure of the principal and the loss of
other key leadership personnel – have mostly been inactive this year.
Key action 4.3: The school provides regular opportunities for teachers and staff to engage in job embedded, collaborative planning and adjustment of practice.