SIG: Turnaround Efforts

November 8, 2013

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Fewer than 15% of high schools produce half of the nation’s 1.2

million dropouts.

“It’s time for all of us, no matter what our backgrounds, to come together and

solve this epidemic. Stemming the tide of dropouts will require turning around

our low-performing schools. Just 2,000 high schools in cities like Detroit, Los

Angeles, and Philadelphia produce over 50% of America’s dropouts…Let us all

make turning around our schools our collective responsibility as Americans.”

- President Obama, March 2009

Source: Robert Balfanz and Nettie Legters, Locating the Dropout Crisis (2004)

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Race to the Top School Improvement

Grants

Alignment of existing federal resources

ESEA Flexibility

Lowest- Performing

Schools

ED is focusing much of its resources and attention on helping states and districts turn around the lowest-performing schools.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Students who attend a State’s persistently

lowest-achieving schools deserve better

options and can’t afford to wait

Not quantity, but quality

Need to build capacity and supports at all

levels

Not a one-year activity

May 1, 2012

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Key Turnaround Themes

• Focus on building and supporting strong teachers and leaders

• Ample time for teaching and planning

• Responsive instruction, especially for diverse student populations

• Active parent engagement and community support

• Culture of respect and high standards for students

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• ED has awarded over $5b appropriated through FY12

• Most FY11 & FY12 funds are being used to fund 2nd & 3rd years of 3-year grants that began in SY 2011-12

• 15 states are conducting new competitions last year for SY12-13

Status of SIG Awards

• Over 1,400 schools in cohort 1, 2 and 3 are implementing SIG models (Tier I/II)

• Over 45% of Tier I/II schools are high schools

Description of SIG Schools

• Collected nearly 100 profiles of state- and school-level promising practices from those showing encouraging results

• Most common monitoring findings relate to award process and ILT; GAO/Hill/press have concerns re grant renewal and external providers

• State-level commitment and implementation varies

Quality of SIG Implementation

Providing unprecedented

investment in turning around lowest-

performing schools

Targeting drop-out factories and

providing districts flexibility to tailor

interventions

Resulting in dramatic changes in many

schools, but need to push for faster/more

change in some

Seeing encouraging signs of progress in

many schools, including in student

achievement

Turnaround Story Line

Overview of SIG Implementation Status

Draft and Deliberative

LEA RESPONSIBILITIES Eligible

Schools

Applies to serve all or subset of eligible schools in the

LEA

Review Criteria Develops a needs assessment to determine which of the

four required intervention models fits best with the needs

of each Tier I, Tier II or Priority school

4 models Applies to implement one of the four required

intervention models in eligible Tier I, Tier II or Priority

schools. LEA selects model after an analysis of local

data, resources, and capacity.

Prioritization Must serve Tier I schools it has the capacity to serve.

May not apply to serve any Tier III school if it has not

served at least one of its Tier I or II schools

OR

Must serve Priority schools it has capacity to serve that

apply for and are awarded SIG funding

Budget Submits three-year budget for each school it applies to

serve ($50K-$2M per year)

FOUR SIG SCHOOL INTERVENTION

MODELS

Turnaround Restart

Closure Transformation

Transformation Model Overview

Teachers and Leaders

• Replace principal

• Implement new evaluation system

• Developed with staff

• Uses student growth as a significant factor

• Identify and reward staff who are increasing student outcomes; support and then remove those who are not

• Implement strategies to recruit, place, and retain staff

Instructional and Support Strategies

• Select and implement an instructional model based on student needs

• Provide job-embedded professional development designed to build capacity and support staff

• Ensure continuous use of data to inform and differentiate instruction

Time and Support

• Provide increased learning time

• Staff and students

• Provide ongoing mechanism for community and family engagement

• Partner to provide social-emotional and community-oriented services and supports

Governance

• Provide sufficient operating flexibility to implement reform

• Ensure ongoing technical assistance

Turnaround Model Overview

Teachers and Leaders

• Replace principal

• Use locally adopted “turnaround” competencies to review and select staff for school (rehire no more than 50% of existing staff)

• Implement strategies to recruit, place, and retain staff

Instructional and Support Strategies

• Select and implement an instructional model based on student needs

• Provide job-embedded PD designed to build capacity and support staff

• Ensure continuous use of data to inform and differentiate instruction

Time and Support

• Provide increased learning time

• Staff and students

• Social-emotional and community- oriented services and supports

Governance

• New governance structure

• Grant operating flexibility to school leader

Restart Model Overview

Restart model is one in which an LEA converts a school or closes and reopens a school under a charter school operator, a charter management organization (CMO), or an education management organization (EMO) that has been selected through a rigorous review process.

Restart Model Overview

• A restart model must enroll, within the grades it

serves, any former student who wishes to

attend the school.

• A rigorous review process could take such

things into consideration as an applicant’s

team, track record, instructional program,

model’s theory of action, sustainability.

• As part of this model, the SEA must review the

process the LEA will use/has used to select the

partner

School Closure Model Overview

School closure occurs when an LEA closes a school and enrolls the students who attended that school in other schools in the LEA that are higher achieving.

• These other schools should be within reasonable proximity to the closed school

• Office for Civil Rights Technical Assistance Module-- Struggling Schools and School Closure Issues: An Overview of Civil Rights Considerations.

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Percent and Number of SIG-Awarded Tier I and Tier II Schools Implementing

Turnaround, Restart, School Closure, and Transformation Models

..

Turnaround, 20%

Restart, 5%

Closure, 1%

Transformation, 74%

Over 1400 schools nationwide in cohorts 1, 2 and 3 are implementing one of the four SIG models.

Draft and Deliberative

Successfully targeted funding to high schools

Funded few turnarounds, restarts, and closures

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Made space for strong leaders to lead

Some are “going through the motions”

States and districts are using SIG funds to dramatically change the way they support their lowest-performing schools, but they face some challenges.

SEAs and LEAs have changed their relationships

Some SEAs unsure how to best support LEAs

Increased focus on improving instruction

Some LEAs struggling with required elements

Some SEAs/ LEAs made system-wide changes

Some LEAs lack capacity and planning time

Some evidence of early gains in achievement

Data is incomplete

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Key Elements

Draft and Deliberative

• The Department is releasing school data and leading indicator data

• What we do know is that this is challenging work, and we’re seeing positive momentum and

progress in schools – with dedicated and courageous teachers, school leaders, and

communities.

• As we gather more information through site visits and regular check-ins with districts and states,

we are seeing that most SIG schools are making dramatic changes in the way they are serving

their students and are seeing encouraging signs of progress, including increases in student

achievement.

• Almost without fail, schools moving in the right direction appear to have a few things in common:

• a dynamic, strong principal with a clear vision;

• a relentless focus on improving instruction through job-embedded professional development

(e.g., coaches), use of data, and teacher/staff collaboration; and

• a high level of support/engagement from parents and community members.

State-developed differentiated recognition, accountability, and support

Supporting effective instruction and leadership

College- and career-ready expectations for all students

Reducing duplication and unnecessary burden

1.

2.

3.

4.

On September 23, the Administration announced a plan for ESEA flexibility in exchange for reforms that adhere to four critical areas.

“We’re going to let states, schools and teachers come up with

innovative ways to give our children the skills they need to compete

for the jobs of the future.”

- President Obama, September 2011

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Develop system to ensure continuous improvement in all Title I schools

Set ambitious but achievable performance targets

Provide recognition for high-progress and highest-performing schools

Effect dramatic, systemic change in the lowest-performing schools

Identify and implement interventions in schools with the greatest

achievement gaps and with subgroups that are furthest behind

Build state, district, and school capacity to improve student learning in all

schools

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Set new

targets

Recognize schools, implement interventions & build

capacity

The new differentiated recognition, accountability, and support system includes focus on lowest-performing schools.

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Turnaround Principles

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The differentiated accountability system must identify “priority schools” to receive interventions aligned with turnaround principles.

Strong leadership

Effective teachers

Rigorous and aligned

instructional program

Redesigned schedules for additional time

Use of data for continuous

improvement

Safe and healthy

students

Family and community

engagement

A “priority school” is identified as among the lowest-performing schools in the state, and a state’s total number must account for at least 5% of Title I schools. Priority schools include:

• the lowest 5% of Title I schools based on achievement and progress on statewide assessments;

• a Title I-participating or a Title I-eligible high school with a graduation less than 60%; or

• a Tier I/II SIG-awarded school

ESEA flexibility offers states relief from certain NCLB provisions, including provisions relating to use of federal education funds.

Priority School

1003(a) Funds

20% and 10% previously set

aside for choice/SES

and PD

Regular Title I, Part A or

Title II, Part A

Transfer of 6123 funds to Title I, Part A

Flexibility for schoolwide programs

1003(g) SIG funds if

implementing SIG model

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ED is addressing SEAs’ implementation challenges and questions through monitoring, guidance, and technical assistance.

•

• Regional conferences

• School Turnaround Summit

• State visits to other states/districts with focus on peer-to-peer and targeted TA

• Over 3000 members

• 6 modules to date including one on increased learning time

• Quick turnaround studies: lessons-from-the-field reports

• School and practice profiles

Collection and Dissemination of Promising

Practices

Online School Turnaround

Learning Community

Conferences State-to-State

TA Visits

School Turnaround

Learning Community

www.schoolturnaroundsupport.org