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Smaller Learning Communities Relationships, Rigor and Relevance

U.S. Department of Education

2007 – 2013

Dr. Janet McMahill

Grant Goals • Create Learning Community Structures to

Enhance Learning

• High Academic Achievement for All Students

• Professional Learning Communities

• $6,087,000 for East, Hoover, Lincoln, North, and Roosevelt High Schools

How Was the Money Spent? • 9th and 10th

academies(Physical spaces and course clusters)

• 5 FT Coordinators

• 5 Academic Interventionists

• Reading and Math

• 8.5 Summer School

• Technology upgrades

• Creating PLC’s

• Prof. Development

• Curriculum Revision

• Curriculum Materials

• After-school support

• External Review

What Was Promised?

Expected Outcomes • Increase pass rates in rigorous courses and

elimination of failures and grades of “F”

• Significantly decrease the # of “Developing” in Math, Science and Reading on ITED

• Get ALL students on track for Graduation

• Get ALL students on grade level in reading and math by the end of Grade 10

• Increase enrollment in AP, IB and other college credit courses

• Identify post-secondary education as a goal in students’ 6 year plans

• Increase attendance and decrease chronic absenteeism

• Reduce discipline referrals, suspensions and expulsions

• Increase high school, employment and post-secondary graduation rates

• Work to improve the attitudes of students, teachers and staff

• Increase parental/family involvement and support

• Expand partnerships with community, business and higher education

Challenges along the way • Dramatic increase in

ELL. Immigrant and students in poverty

• Drop in state funding

• Admin. changes and shift away from zones

• Federal and state requirements added

• Technology Explosion

• Difficulty maintaining physical SLC structures

• Increase in basic operating costs

• Block Scheduling +/--

• ITED changed to the Iowa Assessment

Results

• Significant improvement in Math, Science and Reading

• Majority of students have post-high goals

• Reduced referrals, suspensions and expulsions

• Improved attendance/less chronic absence

• Positive attitude of staff, teachers & students

• Increased parental/family involvement

Results • Expanded partnerships with community,

business and higher education

• Increase in IB, AP and College Prep courses

• Increased graduation, employment and post-secondary completion

Relationships, Rigor and Relevance!

Outcomes Not Met

• Not ALL students on track with credits

• Not ALL students are on grade level in reading and math at the end of 10th grade

• The achievement gap has been not been completely eliminated

• There is not a system-wide significant increase in lowering the number of failures/ “F” grades

Iowa Assessment Reading Progress

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East Hoover Lincoln North Roosevelt

11th Reading Assessment Scores Proficient & Advanced

2012

2013

Iowa Assessment Math Progress

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East Hoover Lincoln North Roosevelt

11th Math Assessment Scores Proficient & Advanced

2012

2013

Iowa Assessment Science Progress

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East Hoover Lincoln North Roosevelt

11th Science Assessment Scores Proficient & Advanced

2012

2013

The Evidence Base

• NWREL Assessment Framework

• Five annual teacher surveys (350 per yr.)

• Focus Groups with teachers, students, parents

• Monthly meetings with coordinators & admin.

• Comprehensive Annual Progress Reports

• District and building level records

• External evaluator observations, data validation, formative and summative reports

Year 6 No-Cost Time Extension

• $60,000 of grant balance disbursed to @

• Kirkpatrick Professional Dev. model used for qualitative evaluation of @ project

• Principals and teacher leaders prepared plans

• Local, state and national PD workshops, seminars, site visits and per diem work

• Supporting expenses covered for 141 teachers

6th Year NCTE (Continued) • East: AIW (Authentic Intellectual Work and Success

Building workshop (literacy focus) • Hoover: Curriculum Collaboration, IB national travel, IB

intensive planning and on-site technology workshop • Lincoln: AVID: Advancement via Individual

Determination (College readiness emphasis) • North: Leadership and Learning Center travel ( Dave

Nagel onsite and Data Teams advance) • Roosevelt: Curriculum collaboration in math, music,

AP Chemistry, Instructional Leadership Teamwork, Instructional Practices Inventory and Response to Intervention

Final Recommendations • Preserve 9th and 10th SLC structures, time for

teacher collaboration and weekly advisory

• Emphasize project-based, inquiry learning

• Further develop local partnerships

• Acquire technology but use it right

• Balance support to all academic areas with resource, collaboration and professional dev.

• Address the educational disadvantages of mobility. Disaggregate data to prove the point.

Recommendations (cont’d) • Continue the various academic interventions but

evaluate these efforts each semester

• Find resources to expand the 6th year SLC projects: Success Building and Literacy* Workshops, Authentic Intellectual Work, Response to Intervention*, International Baccalaureate and Advancement via Individual Determination, Instructional Practices Inventory and Data Teaming

• *Priorities of Iowa Dept. of Ed. Director Buck

Credits

• Connie Cook • Bryce Amos • Timothy Schott • Kevin Oleson • Cynthia Bernhardt • Sally Littell • Jane Hildenbrand • Phillip Ferguson • David King • Chad Ryan • Christopher McMahon • Michael Vukovich

• Sara Albright • Roberta Nigro • Jeffrey Panek • Katherine Clausen • Simone Alekno • Kristopher Byam • Janet Boyd • Kirby Lester

• *Central Administration • *Academic Interventionists • *Building Coordinators