Bright Lights & Shadows

1. Bright Lights & Shadows Lessons learned from exemplary Title I schools from both ends of the student performance spectrum Council of the Great City Schools Annual Fall Conference Nashville 2007 River Dunavin Ranjana Damle Albuquerque Public Schools

2. Albuquerque Public Schools • 90,000 urban/ rural students • 12 high, 26 mid, 86 elementary • 64% Hispanic, Native & African Amer. • 52% eligible free/ reduced lunch • 16% English learners • APS ~2% > proficient vs. NM on SBA

3. Bright lights & shadows • Examines high-performing as well as struggling Title I schools • Current issues & initiatives • Characteristics reported are not necessarily present at every school

4. Participant selection criteria

5. High-performing Title I schoolsData sources • Principals • interviews • roundtable discussion • On-site observation RDA/rDu&RD/0707 5

6. Struggling Title I schoolsData sources • Principals • Teachers • Parents • On-site observation • Questionnaire • Alternative governance plan RDA/rDu&RD/0707 6

7. Struggling Title I schoolsPrioritizing student achievement • Principals not communicating clear expectations for student achievement • Expectation of high student achievement differs within schools • Lack of high performing learning culture • School safety & discipline issues often discussed over instruction & achievement • Some schools protect block schedule of math & reading, others allow interruptions, e.g., lunch, P.E. RDA/rDu&RD/0707 7

8. Struggling Title I schoolsPrioritizing student achievement • AYP subgroups are generally not the focus of conversations • Alternative language services vary from poorly structured to well structured • Goals are set but not always tied to student achievement • Teacher skills are uneven RDA/rDu&RD/0707 8

9. High-performing Title I schoolsPrioritizing student achievement • High expectations • Clear plans for instructional improvement • Priority on meeting AYP goals • Set measurable goals for subgroups RDA/rDu&RD/0707 9

10. Struggling Title I schoolsIntegrated standards based programs • Instructional programs not fully aligned to standards • Vertical & horizontal curriculum articulation incomplete • Instruction often not differentiated to take subgroup needs into account • Implementation fidelity not well understood • Some teachers resist core program procedures & content RDA/rDu&RD/0707 10

11. Struggling Title I schoolsIntegrated standards based programs • In general,no school-wide core math or reading program • Standards based progress report is beginning to be implemented • Leveled bookrooms are common but inventory & use vary • Struggling MSs ahead of the ESs in school-wide standards implementation RDA/rDu&RD/0707 11

12. High-performing Title I schoolsIntegrated standards based programs • Standards-aligned curriculum • Standards guide instruction • Address English learners’ needs • Professional development for programs RDA/rDu&RD/0707 12

13. High-performing Title I schoolsIntegrated standards based programs • “We spent a year and a half looking at standards and coming up with our own power standards; at grade level and in the grade above, the grade below and then we vertically aligned it all. It helped focus instruction to be based on standards.” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 13

14. Struggling Title I schoolsUsing data to drive practice • Staff not seeing connection between measurable expectation & achievement • SBA & SCA often analyzed but not used universally to inform instruction • Student work & data folders not widely used to drive instruction • Staff sees testing as taking time from instruction, not as a planning tool RDA/rDu&RD/0707 14

15. Struggling Title I schoolsUsing data to drive practice • Teacher developed assessments commonly used to track growth • Intervention models not clearly specified • Data not examined by subgroup; needs of subgroups not prioritized • MS principals now working with leadership teams to analyze student performance • PDSA used to analyze SCA data, identify needs of subgroups & inform instruction in MSs RDA/rDu&RD/0707 15

16. High-performing Title I schoolsUsing data to drive practice • Student assessments guide instruction • Using data from multiple sources • Student-owned learning • Identify students in danger of falling behind • systems in place to help students who need individual support RDA/rDu&RD/0707 16

17. High-performing Title I schoolsUsing data to drive practice “…one of the biggest things that changed is focusing on what students are learning, not on what teachers are teaching. I think that for so long we heard, well, I taught that. So they should know it, right?” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 17

18. High-performing Title I schoolsUsing data to drive practice “We used to do a lot of charting and graphing of data, but we weren’t getting to the nitty-gritty of analyzing the data, and at this point I think we’ve gotten so much better at it. You know, we’re looking at it as a grade level, we’re looking at it as a goal team, and we’re looking to see where our gaps are and then we’re using it to drive instruction…” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 18

19. Struggling Title I schoolsEffective use of resources • Inconsistent availability of instructional resources, e.g., culturally relevant material, math consumables • Technical challenges with SCA & web infrastructure • Common strategy to address cultural awareness is social studies classes • Fewer Tier III teachers in mid schools compared to the district average RDA/rDu&RD/0707 19

20. High-performing Title I schoolsEffective use of resources • Money • Materials • Staff • Time • Professional development & Collaboration • Community RDA/rDu&RD/0707 20

21. High-performing Title I schoolsFinancial resources “We wrote a Title VII grant through the federal government. We received $1.2 million… that was nice discretionary money.” “We bought $100,000 worth of new books. We got capital money from the legislature and they allowed us to do that.” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 21

22. High-performing Title I schoolsCommunity resources • “The first year I was there I found out that 12% of the students had a parent in prison. The counselor and I were dealing with these difficult issues with these kids and one day someone from Peanut Butter & Jelly said ‘we have a program for that, we’ll help and we’ll do groups.’ We both burst into tears. There are community resources out there to help us, the food bank, an extra counselor from Hogares...” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 22

23. Struggling Title I schoolsSchool leadership • Growing use of continuous improvement strategies • Staff given directives to use data, with limited specifics on “how to” • Inconsistent instructional leadership, e.g., connecting data to instruction • Principals’ classroom visits may not have clear rubric or feedback loop • Some principals creating leadership structures to address goal setting & data use, e.g., goal teams RDA/rDu&RD/0707 23

24. Struggling Title I schoolsSchool leadership • Pockets of staff resistance & low morale continue as challenges • Limited monitoring of standards implementation, curriculum & instruction • Little accountability & uneven buy-in for program implementation fidelity • School culture that all students can learn is not universal RDA/rDu&RD/0707 24

25. High-performing Title I schoolsSchool leadership • Sets vision • Drives growth • Systems-based management • Continuous improvement • Baldrige • Instructional leader • Builds capacity & teams RDA/rDu&RD/0707 25

26. High-performing Title I schoolsSystems-based management “We’re forever looking at data, analyzing data and putting data into action. We talk a lot about Plan, Do, Study, Act so I connect PDSA’s on purpose with my teacher’s PDPs. No matter what, everybody has to have an active PDSA and it counts towards their professional development plan, and it’s part of their evaluation.” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 26

27. Struggling Title I schoolsCollaboration & PD • Professional development not fully aligned with achievement data • Focus on increasing instructional skills, e.g., core program fidelity, differentiated instruction, RTI • Grade level collaboration & goal teams becoming more prevalent RDA/rDu&RD/0707 27

28. Struggling Title I schoolsCollaboration & PD Teachers request training in: • Core programs with strategies for subgroups • Expanded training in the use of data to inform individualized instruction • Linking standards & curriculum • Further Baldrige implementation RDA/rDu&RD/0707 28

29. High-performing Title I schoolsCollaborative environment “Every staff member belongs to a goal team and they make decisions. It’s created capacity and created ownership. The goal teams and teachers come up with ideas, processes and systems, thus they become more involved and they feel more ownership in what they’re doing. It’s helped to create that buy-in and they see the results.” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 29

30. High-performing Title I schoolsCollaboration with peers “I got involved with the Association of Elementary School Principals. That affords wonderful PD for principals.” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 30

31. Struggling Title I schoolsParent & community involvement • Principals say parents welcomed, get information & understand student progress • Parents often feel staff is unwelcoming • Spanish speaking parents report difficulty getting pertinent information • Parents understand student progress but not standards terminology • Parental participation in school policy & decision making has often been ornamental RDA/rDu&RD/0707 31

32. High-performing Title I schoolsParent & community involvement • School, family & community partnerships • Social & wellness support “We have a very strong parent component, parents are here all the time, they study with us, they take GED classes in English and Spanish, they take Spanish as a second language, English as a second language, nutrition, parenting skills, how to read to their children, how to interpret test results with children, how to talk to their teachers, I mean, all the things that we know are important for children to succeed and do well.” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 32

33. Struggling Title I schoolsCurrent issues & initiatives • Aligning all instructional programs, services, & materials across grade levels • Implementing intervention models • Building instructional skills, e.g., core program fidelity, differentiated instruction, RTI • Providing staff assistance for analyzing data • Improving support for ELL beyond math & reading • Creating opportunities for parent involvement, offering services to meet community needs RDA/rDu&RD/0707 33

34. High-performing Title I schoolsBelieving in success Overarching view of success “…remember that it can be done; all kids can learn.” RDA/rDu&RD/0707 34

35. For more information River Dunavin 848-8743 Dunavin_r@aps.edu Ranjana Damle 848-8738 damle@aps.edu