Arizona Department of Education School Improvement and Intervention Priority and Focus School

1. Arizona Department of Education School Improvement and InterventionPriority and Focus School Processes, Procedures, and Requirements

2. School Improvement and InterventionMission To build LEA and school capacity through a comprehensive system of support that ensures effective and sustainable teaching and learning environments that result in high academic achievement.

3. School Improvement and InterventionUpdates • ESEA Waiver • School Improvement Labels • Parent Notification Letters • 7 Turnaround Interventions for both Priority and Focus Schools

4. How did we get our label? Priority School Focus School Title I School Low Achieving Sub-group-Traditional and Alternative With-in School Gap-Traditional Low Graduation Rate-Traditional • Title I School • Lowest Performing-Traditional and Alternative • Low Graduation Rate-Traditional

5. What does our label mean? Priority School Focus School Required to implement the 7 Turnaround Interventions that address the reason for focus identification in School Continuous Improvement Plan • Required to implement ALL 7 Turnaround Interventions in School Continuous Improvement Plan • Evaluate site leadership based on turnaround competencies and determine if leader needs to be replaced or reassigned • LEA and principal attend leadership development

6. 2013-2014 GUIDANCE FOR PRIORITY-SIG PRIORITY, AND FOCUS SCHOOLS

7. SII System of Support • The School Improvement and Intervention (SII) unit implements a Multi-Tiered System of Support for Priority, Focus, Priority-SIG and Universal schools. • The System of Support consists of four components: • Technical Assistance/Support • Professional Learning • Progress Monitoring • Compliance Monitoring • LEA’s with Priority-SIG, Priority, and Focus schools will receive differentiated support based on the needs of the LEA and school. • As LEA’s and schools make progress the level of support and monitoring will gradually decrease.

8. More Need Less Need Multi-Tired System of Support

9. Technical Assistance

10. Professional Learning

11. Progress Monitoring

12. Compliance Monitoring

13. Progress Monitoring Priority and focus Schools

14. Priority Schools • Differentiated monitoring visits (Minimum 2) • First visit-Solutions Team Visit (1st Semester ) • Second visit- Progress Monitoring (2nd Semester ) • Differentiated monthly off site support: • Self-Readiness Assessment • Implementation of 7 Turnaround Interventions • Implementation of strategies and action steps in CIP

15. Focus Schools • Differentiated on-site monitoring visits (1-2) • Initial visit—Solutions Team • Progress Monitoring as Needed • Differentiated quarterly off site monitoring support: • Self-Readiness Assessment • Implementation of 7 Turnaround Interventions • Implementation of strategies and action steps in CIP

17. Priority PMI

18. Focus PMI

19. Levels of Implementation

20. Required Documents Priority and Focus Schools

21. Self Readiness Assessment

22. Continuous Improvement Plans(LCIP and SCIP) • Address 7 Turnaround Interventions through strategies and action steps within your School Continuous Improvement Plan (SCIP) • Address the LEA support to implement strategies and action steps in the LEA Continuous Improvement Plan (LCIP)

23. CIP Plans in ALEAT • Refer to the Guidance Document http://www.azed.gov/no-child-left-behind/files/2013/08/2013-2014-lea-and-school-plan-guidance.pdf • Include additional school goals to address the bottom 25% in reading and math

24. CIP Plans in ALEAT • Use the Intervention Tags to identify which action steps address which specific Turnaround Intervention • Use Both Tags: • Focus or Priority • Intervention number

25. Data Summary

26. Important Dates to Remember

27. GRANTS Who gets them and how do we apply?

28. Priority and Focus Grants • The purpose of the 1003(a) School Improvement Grant is to assist schools identified as Priority and Focus in improving student achievement. • The strategy is to use the 7 Turnaround Interventions to support LEA’s and schools in their on-going improvement efforts.

29. Application Process • The application is a part of the school improvement planning process including: • a needs assessment • identification of highest needs • selection of appropriate supports • statements of outcomes and evaluation • commitment and capacity • sustainability • creation and maintenance of a budget • Expected to be completed at the LEA level with active participation from the school leadership team.

30. Needs Assessment • In this section, describe the LEA and school site’s needs assessment process, primary concerns and primary issues/root causes for student performance and for each of the 7 Turnaround Interventions. • You may use the • Self-Readiness Assessment • Prior Solutions Team Report • Progress Monitoring Reports • Reflective Summary • Needs Assessments the LEA and/or school has completed

31. Support Options for the 7 Turnaround Interventions • Using evidence from the needs assessment, determine the top two to three interventions your school improvement grant will fund. • The funds will be used to provide additional supports aligned to the interventions and the reason you are in school improvement. • LEA and School Implementation Specialist • Professional Learning • Educational Service Providers

32. LEA and School Improvement Implementation Specialist (IS) • Assists in the development and/or revision of LEA and School Continuous Improvement Plans • Supports the collection and use of data to monitor implementation of improvement plans • Coaches, mentors and provides professional learning around: • LEA and school leadership • Curriculum and instructional systems • Supplemental supports and intervention services • Data, assessment and evaluation • Stakeholder relations

33. Implementation Specialist cont. • Attends leadership development trainings with LEA and school: • IS and LEA/school leadership use trainings as collaboration time • IS ensures that best practices from trainings are implemented and monitored • Reviews the alignment of resources (human, fiscal, etc.) • Facilitates participation in peer network opportunities

34. Implementation Specialist cont. The IS will be contracted for no more than 50 days of service for each school year. The 50 days will include: • A minimum of 10 on-site full day visits (8 hrs. per full day) • Those with greater needs will receive additional on-site visits • On-going desktop support (go-to meetings, webinars, phone calls) • Attendance with LEA and school at leadership trainings • Implementation Specialist provides monthly feedback through a Coaching and Mentoring Log (CML), documenting: • Strategies and actions steps currently being addressed • Support provided to the LEA/school • Next steps and timeline for implementation

35. Professional Learning Priority and Focus Schools will have targeted professional learning focused on leadership development: • AZ LEADS- The Leadership Institute • AZ LEADS plus the School Administrator Manager (SAM) • National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) • Turnaround Curriculum Leadership Development • Beat the Odds Leadership development is a requirement for Priority Schools.

36. AZ LEADS Leadership Institute • 8 days per year • Implementation Specialist (recommended) • Teams of 2 or 3 members consisting of: • Principal (mandatory) • Superintendent(or designee) • Campus Staff Member • Understand & articulate the relationship & connection between curriculum, instruction & assessment (including AZCCS) • Create a culture of ADULT learners • Create & facilitate EFFECTIVE Learning Teams • Keep staff focused on results & the desire to move forward

37. What is SAM? • School Administration Manager-National Sam Innovation Project • Professional Development process for principals: • Readiness • Baseline Data Collection • Daily Time-Track meeting • Monthly Time Change Coaching • Year later Data Collection • Relies on reflective practice and data collection, use • Adds an average of 27 days of instructional leadership time in the first year

38. Change of principal’s use of time leads to:

39. NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP (NISL) • Executive leadership program grounded in research and practice focused on improving instruction • Cohort-based, creating professional learning communities. • NISL program content includes: • Conceptual Framework for Strategic Thinking • Principles of Teaching and Learning • Subject-area Knowledge • Coherence & Alignment of Instructional Systems • Elements of a Standards-Based Instructional System • Instructional Coaching Process

40. NISL cont. • NISL’s Executive Development Program emphasizes the role of principals as: • strategic thinkers • instructional leaders • creators of a fair and caring culture in which all students meet high standards. • NISL program components includes : • Regional Leadership Team Cohort Meetings lead by NISL facilitators (every 6 weeks for 18 months) • Leadership Coaching in Schools (throughout academic year)

41. Turnaround Curriculum Leadership Development – Intervention Program Components • Institutes (10 days / year) • Regional Meetings with Trained Facilitators (6 days / year) • Leadership Coaching in Schools (throughout academic year) • Requirements - Must Attend All Program Components in Teams – Principal, Two Teacher Leaders, District Representative • Must participate in evaluation process and will receive information in a feedback loop (survey results, interview results) Content • Assessment Literacy • Common Core Curriculum • Instruction, Student Engagement • Capacity / PLCs • School Culture • Community Relationships

42. x OurMISSION is to significantly improve individual student achievement in low-income, minority intensive schools in Arizona. Our PROGRAM is based on research conducted by the Center for the Future of Arizona and Jim Collins, author of Good to Great. Academic achievement improved significantly when six characteristics are present at the school: • A strong and steady principal, • The establishment of a clear bottom line, • On-going assessment, • Collaborative solutions, • A program built to suit individual students and • A commitment to successful established programs.

43. x Our GOAL is to teach principals how to apply the six characteristics of successful schools. Since 2007, we have provided support for over 167 principals in Arizona. Our Services: • Individualized mentoring program for principals- Five hours per month • Partner meetings for principals- Six per year, networking and collaborative activities with peers • Online resource center

44. Educational Service Provider • An educational service provider may be contracted with through the LEA/school to provide support for one or more of the 7 Turnaround Interventions. • For example, someone to provide staff development on Essential Elements of Instruction or the Common Core State Standards. • A scope of work will need to be provided. • If a provider has not been identified, must provide a detailed description of the Turnaround Intervention the service will support as well as the following statement: “Educational Service Provider to be determined in consultation with School Improvement and Intervention section of ADE.”

45. Outcomes and Evaluation • In this section, for each of the support options chosen (professional learning and/or educational service provider) provide a minimum of three expected outcomes the training/service will support in improving student achievement; and • For each of the outcomes, an evaluation plan that will be used to monitor the progress towards meeting the outcomesmust be provided

46. Commitment and Capacity • In this section, describe the commitment and capacity the school board, LEA and school site principal will take to ensure effective implementation of the 7 Turnaround Interventions and adhere to grant requirements including programmatic and fiscal management.

47. sustainability • In this section, describe how the capacity of the LEA and/or school will be enhanced to continue school improvement efforts once the grant funding/additional supports are no longer available.

48. Budget Process • In this section, complete the budget summary and line items description in the grant application. • If applying for more than one school site, then you must complete the school site budget for each site. You must also include each site by site number and name in the line item descriptions. • In addition to options in the grant guidance budgets may include travel and/or substitutes to attend trainings.

49. Budget Process cont. If requesting an Implementation Specialist or NISL the amount requested will be entered in Section II Site Information (in the application) NOT in your budget summary and line item description. • If requesting an Implementation Specialist, the amount requested will be entered into your Site Information section. The amount will be $20,000 and may be amended to reflect the actual amount of the contract once your Implementation Specialist has been assigned by ADE. • If requesting leadership development, the amount requested for NISL will be entered into your Site Information section. The amount requested for all other leadership development will be entered into your site budget summary and line item description.

50. Grant Assurances and Release Letters • All grant recipients will be required to sign the Priority and Focus Grant Agreement LEA Assurances. • If choosing an Implementation Specialist (IS) or NISL training, the LEA will need to give permission in the grant application and sign a letter authorizing ADE to utilize a portion of the LEA’s school improvement grant assistance funds to cover the costs for IS and/or NISL.