Virginia WebEx Program Division Support for Substantial School Improvement 1.

Virginia WebEx Program

Division Support for Substantial School

Improvement

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Sponsored byVirginia Department of EducationKathleen Smith, Office of School Improvement

Virginia Foundation for Educational LeadershipRandy Barrack, Executive Director

With assistance fromAppalachia Regional Comprehensive Center

andCenter on Innovation & Improvement

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Virginia WebEx Faculty[List names and affiliations]

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Pre-ReadingThe Handbook on Restructuring and

Substantial School Improvement is the background text for this series of WebExes

Pages 1-44 should be read before the first WebEx

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WebEx Session 1: Division Support for School Improvement – Part 1

Agenda for the Session1. Welcome and Introduction to Series – 5

minutes2. Introduce Indicator 1 – 5 minutes3. Discuss Indicator 1 Questions – 10 minutes4. Introduce Indicator 2 – 5 minutes5. Discuss Indicator 2 Questions – 10 minutes6. Introduce Indicator 3 – 5 minutes7. Discuss Indicator 3 Questions – 10 minutes8. Introduce web-based planning and reporting

process – 5 minutes5

Welcome• Our purpose is to help divisions provide

their schools with the support and direction necessary for improvement

• We will emphasize support and direction for schools in need of “substantial improvement”

• The schools may or may not be in the process of restructuring

• The division support system, however, will benefit all schools and the division itself

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Substantial ImprovementBy substantial improvement, we mean a

school that needs comprehensive reform rather than improvement of a specific program and/or component

By substantial improvement, we also mean that change must occur over a short period of time rather than incrementally over a long period of time

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The WebEx Series7 WebEx SessionsAttended by division-level teamsPresented by the VDOE WebEx faculty of

veteran division administrators20 Success Indicators (about 3 per session)Content, discussion, post-session team

tasksWeb-based planning and reporting system

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Focus on the “How”An Indicator is an element that research

connects with successful school improvement

Missing link in research is the “how” behind the Indicator

This project will focus on the “how” as each division team carefully addresses the Indicators, plans improvement, documents their work, and shares their experience

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Priorities• We all want to directly address school

improvement now, and we know the divisions are working with their schools.

• The first priority of this series of WebExes is to strengthen the division and its ability to systematically support school improvement.

• In the final session, we will introduce a similar process the division may utilize for each school’s improvement planning and implementation.

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WebEx 1 Indicators

Indicators of Success1.IA02 - Community. The division includes civic

leaders, and community organizations in division and school improvement planning and maintains regular communication with them.

2.IA07 - Achievement Targets. The state sets minimum division, school, and student subgroup achievement targets. The division sets maximum division, school, and student subgroup achievement targets.

3.IA11 - Data System. The division ensures that key pieces of user-friendly data are available in a timely fashion at the division, school, and classroom levels.

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Community and Civic Support IA02 - Community. The division includes

civic leaders and community organizations in division and school improvement planning and maintains regular communication with them.

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“When the division operates within a framework of civic and community responsibility for school success, the difficult options of restructuring [substantial school improvement] meet with greater support and understanding.”Kenneth Wong, Handbook on Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement

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Communication and CoordinationClose linkages among school division,

school board, community leaders can be beneficial in reforming schools

Civic/community support must be nurtured at the division level and for each school

Civic/community support are nurtured through intentional, coordinated efforts of division, with regular and effective communication

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Superintendent and School Board

Present united frontPublicly provide support for reform; help

sell vision to communityEnsure that student learning is the top

priority for attention and resourcesEngage in periodic self-evaluation of their

own performanceGalvanize broad-based support for

initiatives.

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Discussion: Build Civic Support

1. How do the superintendent and board show unity of purpose with division/school improvement?

2. How does the division build civic, community support for school improvement?

Mayors and elected officials Civic and community leaders

3. What communication systems must be put in place to keep everyone informed?

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Achievement TargetsIA07 - Achievement Targets. The

division sets division, school, and student subgroup achievement targets.

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Setting Achievement Targets• Determine reasonable trajectories for

improvement for– division– Each school

• How specific? – Grade level– Subject area– Student subgroups

• Incremental trajectory vs. immediate turnaround– Which schools need which trajectory?

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Discussion: Achievement Targets1. Who is involved in setting achievement

targets?2. How are division targets explained to

stakeholders? Who gets what information?

3. How are different trajectories for different schools explained to each school’s stakeholders?

4. What are division staff, principals, teachers expected to do with the information?

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Data SystemIA11 - Data System. The division ensures

that key pieces of user-friendly data are available in a timely fashion at the division, school and classroom levels.

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Build Technical CapacityDivision research and evaluation units shift

emphasis from compliance monitoring to building accessible data systems

Create a single, comprehensive data system rather than multiple ones for special purposes (e.g., special education, categorically funded programs)

Focus on diagnostic uses of data ARDT PALS EIMS -- [email protected]

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Formative Assessments• Types of formative assessments– State or division-created formative assessments– Teacher team (school grade level or subject area)

formative assessments– Vendor-provided formative assessments • Example: Northwest Evaluation Association’s assessments

• Focus and strengthen use of formative assessments at all three levels—division, school, classroom

• Focus teacher team efforts on modifications in instructional planning based on formative assessment results

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Use Data to Drive DecisionsDetermine appropriate data to disseminate

to parents, principals, teachers, school board, civic and community leaders

Use data to make decisions about programs and to allocate resources

Use data to monitor progress, keep attention on goals

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Productive Data Use• Data should focus primarily on student learning,

at least at first, then secondary data, for example - – Attendance– Discipline– Parent and teacher perceptions– Classroom observations of “patterns of practice”– Analysis of lesson plans (individually and in teams)

• Staff members need training and time to analyze data and apply conclusions to instruction

• School boards need training in understanding data and applying to decision making

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Discussion: Division Data System1. How does the division develop a

comprehensive data information system that is user friendly and timely?

2. How can training in data use be provided for –– School board and community/civic leaders– Division staff– Principals– Teachers– Parents

3.How can data effectively inform instruction?

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Division Team Tasks from WebEx 1

www.centerii.org

1.Select: Division Support for Substantial School Improvement

2.Register your division (if not already registered)

3.Form your team (add non-WebEx participants?)

4.Plan tasks for each indicator-based objective5.Monitor progress regularly

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