The Michigan Department of Education: Focusing On Student Achievement

1. The Michigan Department of Education: Focusing On Student Achievement Presentation to the OCTE Spring Update March 12, 2014 Venessa A. Keesler, Ph.D. Deputy Superintendent, Education Services

2. New Directions at MDE

3. MDE Mission and Priorities • Mission: “All Michigan students graduate ready for careers, college and community.”

4. MDE Priorities • Close achievement gaps • Increase the number of children in appropriate high quality early learning and development programs • Increase the number of children who are reading at grade level by the end of third grade • Increase the use of personalized teaching methods • Implement policies and activities to drive quality improvement and accountability in Educator Preparation Institution programs • Reduce health and safety barriers to learning • [Seventh priority to be added—dealing with fiscal accountability, financially distressed districts, etc.]

5. How do we reach that Mission? How Do We Operationalize These Priorities? • Core areas of focus for Education and Accountability Services/our work: • Closing the achievement gap while accelerating achievement for all students • Moving beyond compliance • Effective educators • K-3 literacy • Data driven decision making

7. Education Services “Master Plan” • Key Areas of Focus • What these are: • The key pieces that help us make progress on the priorities • The elements to a holistic approach to improving our work on behalf of Michigan’s students • What these are not: • An all-inclusive list of all the work we do in our divisions

8. Closing the Achievement Gap; Career and College Readiness for ALL Students • Why does this matter? • Too many Michigan students are being left behind—at each stage of the pipeline • Success as an educational system means making sure each and every student has access to high-quality education • Key initiatives: • Delivery plan to implement gap closure strategies • Associated research agenda • Priority and Focus school interventions • Achievement gap focus in CTE data • Early Middle Colleges, enhanced dual enrollment, CTE articulation agreements, opportunities for credit while still in secondary education • Integration of gaps into accountability system and development of associated data tools

9. Building on/Moving Beyond Compliance • Why does this matter? • We have been compliant; compliance has not uniformly led to increased student achievement. • Compliance is necessary… but it is not sufficient • How can we, as the SEA, renew our focus on students, find innovative ways to support good practice, provide technical assistance BEFORE a district is non-compliant, and act as a partner in the educational system and process? • Key initiatives: • Data tools to use assessment and accountability results • Strategic policy evaluation and research • Leveraging grants • Quality in plans initiative • Reducing reporting burden; aligning requirements • Focus on technical assistance and models; early adopters and fast followers

10. Effective Educators • Why does this matter? • Education happens at the intersection between a student and a teacher, in the presence of content. • Michigan needs talented, trained and well-supported educators to make this happen. • Key initiatives: • MCEE report on educator evaluations; legislative work to support this report • New teacher standards (InTASC) • Revised EPI Performance Score • MTTC cut scores • Educator evaluations for CTE educators

11. Early Literacy • Why does this matter? • In the educational pipeline, students need to gain skills in literacy (and numeracy) early in their educational careers. • By the time we test in third grade, it is very late in the game for those students • Key initiatives: • We will be putting together an overall plan using the delivery model starting this month • Researching/learning about multi-tiered systems of support and how they can support this goal • Third grade retention bill; legislative interaction • Kindergarten entrance exam • K-2 interims

12. Data-Driven Decisions • Why does this matter? • We need to work smarter, not harder. • We need to use the massive wealth of data we have to actually improve education. • When decisions are informed by information in a timely manner, we have a better chance of identifying the correct solution to problems in education. • Key initiatives: • Strategic Policy Evaluation and Research work: having evidence available on core priority areas • Collaboration with CEPI to refine the portal • Continued development and enactment of a strategic research agenda that addresses our major priority policy areas • Having actionable data in the hands of MDE program offices, districts, ISDs, schools and teachers to inform instructional decisions

13. Other pieces of that chart • Cross-Office Work • Specific cross-office collaborations that • Directly support the key areas of focus and • That we are involved with directly • Office Specific Focus • Specific topics/areas within each office that • Relate directly to the key areas of focus and • That we are involved with directly • NOT fully inclusive of all the work completed by an office!

14. Roadmap for the Next Six Months • Focus on getting Ed Serv offices the data and the training they need for data-driven decision making. • Greater alignment between our offices and initiatives; we do not have sufficient staff or resources to duplicate efforts AND it burdens the field. • How do we tie finances to academics? • Finalize an early literacy plan and begin implementation • Multi-tiered systems of support—how to encourage, how to align work across all offices, how to support the field • Develop and finalize our approach to postsecondary transitions and to STEM • Reduce reporting burden for our schools, particularly our Priority schools

15. Roadmap for the Next Six Months • Implementing a balanced assessment system • Building out strategic policy evaluation research capacity and systems • Implementing the revised EPI score • Recruiting high-quality providers for advanced professional licensure • Supporting schools in educator evaluations—system build and technical assistance

16. Leadership Goals/Vision • Focus on students • Ask ourselves: “How will this help us increase career-and college readiness in students, close achievement gaps and accelerate achievement for all students?” If we can’t answer that, consider whether we need to do it… • Cross-office collaboration; integrated and innovative approaches to our work • Helps create alignment for the field if we align our initiatives. • MDE Connection with the field • Within the state and national connections • Decision-making informed by data, information and research

17. Focus on Students • We are the Department of Education • We have a special privilege and responsibility in state government as being entrusted with providing leadership and support for over 1.5 million students, 100,000 teachers, 20,000 administrators, 3500 schools and 800 districts. • It is about the students. Every day, we need to remember that. • Make our decisions here based on what helps students receive a higher-quality education

18. Major Hot Topics and Challenges • Educator evaluations • Assessment decisions and transitions • Third grade retention bills • Letter grade bill/accountability system • Statewide School Reform and Redesign District • New science standards • ESEA Flexibility: next steps • Others that you want to ask about?

19. THANK YOU! Venessa A. Keesler, Ph.D. Deputy Superintendent, Education Services keeslerv@michigan.gov Michigan Department of Education