AMSA

Board Retreat

January 26, 2019

Facilitated by Nancy Dill

TOPICS

Overview: Context, The Day, Next Steps Recommended

Goal Refinement

Strategies Selected for Action: Goal 1

Strategies Selected for Action: Goal 2 (incomplete)

Strategies Selected for Action: Goal 3

Appendix 1: Current Metrics

Appendix 2: Parking Lot

OVERVIEW

CONTEXT The Board ended its March 2018 retreat with 3 ten year goals1. The purpose of this 2019 retreat was to start the process of translating the goals into tactical plans so that detailed project plans to achieve them could be developed. The time allocated was pre-determined (5 hours) and the planning committee: Jen Pauline Ryan, Roger Jarrett, Rick Kamal and facilitator Nan Dill, strategized what could be accomplished in the time allocated. In order to maximize productivity of the time available, Board members and guests were asked to submit their recommendations as pre-work. The group prepared over 200 recommendations – an unexpectedly rich harvest. In addition, they shared where more refinement was needed on the goals themselves and key decision points. (All inputs have been summarized in previous documentation.) Recommendations were set up as activity packets for the retreat – with the goal of refining the data set to select the combined recommendations most likely to achieve the strategic goals.

THE DAY Board Members and Guests participated in a Conversational Café, working in 3 rounds of groups to discuss and select from the recommendations submitted in the prework. Every participant was given the opportunity to work on all 3 goals. Additional recommendations (beyond those submitted in the pre-work) were also welcomed.

The group worked hard and came up with a variety of solid decisions. We discovered that each of the goals lent itself to a different approach. Goal 1 was best suited to the activity approach with many actionable and well thought out recommendations. Goal 2 was ill-suited to the activity because the goal itself was too ambiguous to be clear (95% of what?) and the ultimate achievement intended behind hitting 95% of metrics was not universally understood. In addition, there is a staff committee already working on this need. Work on Goal 2 was eventually stopped (see Goal 2 below for details). Goal 3 took a visionary turn with a focus on creating an

1 LONG TERM GOALS

1. Achieve financial independence by building a deep and enduring pipeline fueled by 30% non-tuition sources.

2. Achieve a level of excellence for 95% of the metrics measured. AMSA’s values are the means to achieve this.

3. Set the standard for secondary education by transforming the way students learn, and become a national model for dissemination.

Innovation Engine. The idea is excellent and elicited a lot of interest including people working through their breaks to discuss it. One note - discussion on other elements for Goal 3 seemed to take a back seat to people getting up to speed with this new concept. As a result, more thought will be needed to flush out these other areas.

One significant handicap which emerged was that, for a combination of reasons, none of the 3 goals was deemed satisfactory in its current state. Some progress was made in session and additional refinement will be required.

In spite of this handicap, the Board and friends made significant progress towards identifying critical elements for their strategic plans. Overall, the day was a significant success, as the rich trove of information in this report indicates. A variety of high quality recommendations have been made, vigorous and productive conversations took place and the group is well on its way to understanding what will be needed to take the AMSA to news level of targeted success.

NEXT STEPS RECOMMENDED 1. The Board needs to align around a future vision of what an outstanding school of the

future will be. This vision will provide clarity on what we are building towards and, therefore, what will be valuable to measure.

2. Another round of goal refinement and precise word selection is needed. 3. With the vision and goal refinement in place, a review of the strategies in this document

– for validation, additions and corrections is needed. 4. A structure is needed for how the plan will be confirmed, monitored and refined over

time. 5. A list is needed of where additional research is required. 6. Once these have taken place, it will be appropriate to build a project plan in 3 phases

First, a rough out of major interim goals (e.g. 1 and 3 year) and major milestones Second, flushing out the more granular tactics required to deliver these goals and rough timelines Third, identification of resources and buy-in by those resources

7. The plan will require approval and, then, communication.

GOAL REFINEMENT

GOAL 1 The circumstances surrounding the first goal have changed. Based on pre-work input and discussion, the goal was refined to:

Fund raise the necessary capital to complete the current building project and then shift the focus to achieving financial independence by building and maintaining a deep and enduring pipeline of support which will enable achievement of our strategic goals and competitive staff salaries. Another approach with the same intent but perhaps more clarity could be: Enable AMSA to actualize achievement of its:

• current building project • strategic goals and • commitment to competitive staff salaries

by building and maintaining a deep and enduring pipeline of financial support through fundraising.

GOAL 2 Questions arose regarding 1) 95% of what, 2) Why 95% and 3) What the targeted impact is behind this goal. The word “measured” was also flagged as unnecessary. The team in the first round of the café built a table capturing what is currently measured and how it aligns with AMSA values (See Appendix 1). The second group found it was unable to move past discussion given the nature of the open questions. It was at this time that the recommendation was made to not try to progress that goal further in the session (given the time constraints). The Board resolved 1) to empower the internal staff committee already working on this topic to bring forth a proposal and 2) that the role of the Trustees in supporting goal achievement will be discussed at that time.

GOAL 3 The third goal also was determined to not fully and clearly capture the group’s intent. While there was some robust discussion, the final version is not yet clear. There was discussion on whether the goal should be focused on 1) becoming a new standard for education (external measure), 2) transforming the way students learn (open question – with what goal behind the transformation) or 3) dissemination (which is part of the school’s mandate).

Some of the ideas which emerged around who the school could/should “grow up to be” aligns with the Lighthouse image which has been previously discussed. Elements which surfaced included:

• Impactful • Providing skills which enable future success • Creating a culture of innovation and continuous improvement – one which embraces risk

and accepts misses • Staffed by inspiring, supportive and passionate teachers • Creating an learning environment which students find fun • Supported by the mechanisms, collaboration and magic sauce which enable success

As one participant pointed out – this is a vision of what the educational environment could become. Having a shared vision is a critical starting point – strategies will be needed to achieve it, to disseminate it and to fuel recognition (“become the standard”) once AMSA aligns on what the shared vision is. The Board discussion made solid progress but the vision needs to be vetted and finalized so it can become a compass for appropriate strategic plans and actions.

Phrases which surfaced in discussion as possible versions of the goal include:

“Become a national model for excellence and innovation in teaching and learning.” and

“Set the standard for secondary education by transforming the way students learn and becoming a national model for excellent and innovation in education.”

Neither of these comments was considered a final version of the goal but the progress made in proposing them should not be lost.

Strategies Selected for Action GOAL 1

Key strategies and decision points to achieve this goal: LONG TERM BRANDING (who are we) and RELATIONSHIPS (with whom) and SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM STRATEGY (specific metrics?)

1. BUSINESS FUNDING

1. Establish relationships with local and national business 2. Sponsorship – Capital contributions/assets and naming rights 3. Branding

For years we have been talking about partnering with the high tech companies…not just

local companies. AMSA had ties with BOSE and Raytheon in the early years. What happened? I would like to see partnerships that include national engineering and tech companies investing in our students by contributing big money to the school. Companies could use strategies like WPI, where students are courted…and developed for entry into their own programs. Or like ROTC, where students would have certain criteria for their high school studies, and would be followed after graduation, being offered internship throughout college and “owe” the company an agreed amount of employment time when they finish. The student would become an important asset. A relatively short term investment for future thinking companies. (can’t read first part of note….today we have some)

Create a marketing strategy to partner with STEAM corporations to generate donations

towards specific capital campaigns: labs, library, gym, etc. Outside capital frees up operating cash flow for investment in students and educator models of success. (Requires a professional consultant to design $. Must agree to take such funds and understand the give. Must agree to see school as a primary STEAM enterprise. Requires a program developed to partner with these institutions over time and partner students for jobs etc.) (Science and Mathematics Research Academy or Advanced Research Change)

Sale of Naming rights or advertising on AMSA buildings, programs, scoreboards, or

buses Get a corporate sponsor. Corporate research, fundraising. (Relationships: intern,

scholarship, visits, events, jobs, training, donations, networking)

Identify large National/International Corporate donors () who may consider endowing AMSA with 6/7 figure donations. -> Generate Competition to Increase Attention to AMSA

Solicit partnerships from business and industry for new facility. Agree to name hallways,

wings of the building, or other areas of the campus after the business based on amount of donation

INPUT More Internship Programs. Approach local companies.

OUTPUT Drive a demand for AMSA students. Approach local companies to the area

(Core town area/MA) Determine viability of large-scale, high-end “gala” type of event with celebrity

engagement Market the name and successes broadly (social media, media, etc). (Requires time from

dedicated staff and careful alignment with marketing strat.) Branding. 2. ALUMNI AND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FUNDING Maintain and continued enhancement

- work history - college history - giving history - ranking/rating - all data

Engage AMSA alumni in contributing to the financial needs of the school. Establish a small group to develop an alumni outreach strategy by year end. Strategy should leverage newly developed alumni data base, target annual fund raising goals, and build strong linkages between the alumni and AMSA. Establish Alumni Foundation and start tradition of annual giving from Alumni Nurture and grow Alumni association and turn it into a revenue source (more relevant as alumni enter the workforce and their ability to give back improves)

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Build “fundraising engine” Replicate models from other educational

institutions (higher-ed or other charter schools) with significant resources dedicated to multi-tiered fundraising

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN Design Annual Giving Campaigns for next few years as rehearsals

for capital campaign

Embark on a systematic "friend raising" campaign as an early step. Involve all BoT members

3. FOUNDATIONS AND TRUSTS FUNDING Connect with area () Foundations to establish a tradition of annual giving or

commitments to give money for multiple years Identify large () Educational Trusts who may consider endowing AMSA with 6/7 figure

donations. 4. ENDOWMENT & INVESTMENT FUNDING Investigate if legally AMSA could establish a low risk investment path for a percent of the

school's net cash assets. (ex. mutual funds). Establish a small group to do a feasibility study on this idea and report out by the end of the school year.

Seek Corporate or Foundation Donors to Endow a Chair (For example The XYZ Endowed

Chair of the Science Department) Create a AMSA or STEM Soaring Eagles endowment fund where the school/Foundation

receives the income and principle is untouched and grows as donations occurs 5. GRANTS FUNDING Hire a development FTE who is focused on grant writing

Grant writing to national businesses to receive donations

Get a funding pipeline from Gov Grants

6. BUILD VISIBILITY Join and participate in as many competitions as possible. (Requires more time and more

$ from all.) Community engagement - Increase number of community events supported or ran by

the school to: Make money: community-focused fundraising (as opposed to family or student-focused)

Enlist parents and community in fund raising events that raising funds in a social and

educational manner bringing parents and community together. (Requires a committee of

parents and teachers to host and execute such events. AMSA must agree to be open to the public and partner in these events.)

Look at opportunities to take advantage of online shopping services like Amazon where

AMSA & non-AMSA shoppers can have a % of their purchase spend go to AMSA. 7. ADVOCACY – STATE LEVEL Advocate (as much as it’s allowed/possible) for legislation to affect funding. (See Texas

example) Increase collaboration and communication with local government of sending towns.

Continue to lobby state government for current funding bill school

Lobby for grants, loans, MSBA funding

Community engagement - Increase number of community events supported or ran by

the school to: Build connections (political or local corporate) Create and maintain relevant summer academies

Go all in with all charter school groups – meet, seminars, share ideas, etc. (Requires

teacher time and $ and ED commitment) Marketing, press, etc. (Need resources)

As our reputation continues to grow within Massachusetts and New England, begin to

promote the school into the national platform. 8. HIGHER EDUCATION Develop higher education partnerships to:

foster growth in academics co-fundraise or even to drive service revenue create programs in partnership, or to provide students access to the institutions for

additional learning experiences. solicit donations support the educational development programs. (Requires AMSA to

develop such programs (job placement, training, how to apply to college, etc.) host more satellite classes at a cost, like SEI and AIC (?)

9. INTERNAL RESOURCING

Resources: invest in development organization, adding roles for multiple sources of funding. Invest in enhancing individual and corporate solicitation efforts.

Consider service-learning classes that provide opportunity for student-led outreach while

achieving academic goals (unsure if this is already done) 10. MISCELLANEOUS Engage development experts to provide a road map

Obtain a Development readiness assessment for AMSA (initial steps taken in 2018) and

create development (sorry for redundancy) plans for BoT and school leadership Develop a more formal business operations department for legal, finance, hr and

management development to support a larger budget and fundraising activities. Add significant development expertise onto BOT and Board Advisory Council

Emulate Success Academy Charter Schools - ED to meet with Eva Moskowitz to get

ideas. Train board in Development and their role in it. Adjust expectations of BoT members

accordingly (Consider key hires) Communications with the greater community should use the word “demanding” – and

its use also emphasized internally. Off hours facility usage to 1) College and University Evening Programs featuring full in-

person courses, or hybrids, 2) Community organizations, 3) events, and tournaments

Strategies Selected for Action (incomplete) GOAL 2

While this activity was interrupted by the decisions that 1) more clarification was required before this activity could be productive and 2) the Board should review input from the staff committee working on metrics, the material below captures strategies the Board selected for further discussion/action. Appendix 1 which details the current metrics and their relationship to AMSA values was also documented by this group.

COMMENTS What do we want to achieve with a 95% success rate? We need to clarify which metrics are forward looking and which are backward looking.

They need to be balanced. It appears we are heavily oriented towards backward looking metrics. Forward looking goals will require discussion on what we consider growth and what we consider improvement.

Transform – put the “Advanced” back in AMSA. The Top 5 in Academics. A dashboard of metrics – selected and summarized (is needed)

1. OVERARCHING GOALS FOR BOARD Resource and tracking system to measure and track improvements and success of

various efforts to improve. Include AMSAs values as part of the interview process for hiring and evaluating teachers

and staff Resource to create and report monthly and by test type.

Consider extended day activities for driving improvement in key metrics.

2. OPERATIONAL METRICS (CONNECTS BACK TO THE OVERARCHING BOARD GOALS) Make decisions based on the data. Data may result in revising curriculum and

instructional practices, or adjusting school policies and procedures. MCAS, AP, SAT, and other high-stakes testing performance reviews. Refer to and revise, as needed, depending on data, the professional development practices, strategic plan, accountability plan, and core values.

Define Metrics and definition/calcs. Focusing on the core values establish a metric to record annually those incidents that

reflect "lack of integrity" by the student body, faculty, & administration. Core Value #1 Integrity: a. Documented plagiarism and cheating data, b. Bullying and

harassment data, c. Collecting qualitative data on school on professionalism in the workplace, mentoring and induction program, opportunities for leadership roles, d. Building on collegiality through department chairs and data teams

Core Value #2 – Excellence: a. Close achievement gaps by closely reviewing data on all subgroups, b. Provide timely and actionable feedback to all staff members that supports professional growth Core Value #3 – Community: a. Community service hour requirements for students, b. Partnerships with industry, c. Internships, d. Explore programs and partner with business and industry who train mentors to work with high school students identified as at-risk

Next step are to choose 1 – 2 metrics per Core Value as a way to measure our success. In

order to do this, we need to gather feedback from stakeholders and come to a consensus on which metrics will be the best measure of success. (Spring 2019)

2. METRICS CANDIDATES Possible metrics for staff include teacher retention rates; levels of trust and morale;

ability/opportunity to collaborate and innovate – all of which could be measured, in part, by surveys.

Determination made by community stakeholders about which metric will be used to craft

the AMSA Accountability Plan for DESE due 5/2020. High participation rates in academic clubs

Develop metrics for core values of integrity and community, measure year-over-year

data Gain consensus on academic measures (developed by school administration, approved

by BOT) Determine if there needs to be a new group of students and related metrics based on

demographic shift. This group as the mantra states can make excellent students no

matter what starting point. (May require additional resources to provide additional focus on the students in need of accelerated performance to achieve same standards for all.)

Define and establish faculty metrics (with the fundamental assumption that excellence

metrics not only apply for students) Have 95%+ college acceptance rates.

MCAS, AP, SAT, and other high-stakes testing performance reviews. Research and conduct surveys that focus on gauging integrity, review of teacher

retention rates, creating comprehensive exit surveys for staff who leave, staff, student, and parent surveys.

Create a school of clear communication and follow through. Staff surveys, parent and

student surveys. Add “academic” to the 2nd core value and make it #1. “At AMSA, we pursue academic

excellence by embracing the joy of learning, by being curious, by working hard, by persevering in the face of obstacles, by embracing creativity and innovation, and by constantly striving to improve.”

Strategies Selected for Action GOAL 3

1. METHODOLOGY

A. INSTRUCTIONAL Investigate the use of instructional rounds (teachers meet to discuss best practices). Or,

discuss inquiry statements (ex. What does engagement look like in a classroom?). (Finding and scheduling a time to hold these meetings.)

More co-taught classes

Smaller class sizes (under 20)

Change teaching: delete “flipped” class

Research and adjust instructional practices to make students more accountable for their

learning. (Provide professional development and rationale to teachers. Provide feedback through official observations and walkthroughs. Get away from “talk and chalk” or “sage on the stage” teaching practices.)

Strategy for online versus offline versus blended learning.

B. INNOVATION & EXPERIMENTATION School of innovation

Commit to trying X number of new strategies each school year

Experiment with teaching strategies in sub-populations through hypothesis-driven,

controlled “trials” to generate interpretable data on success of such innovations Investigate new educational practices, train teachers in implementing them, pilot new

programs

C. GLOBAL Globalization

a. Introduce students to other cultures b. Partner with other countries c. Students make connections to the world and understand the competition d. May not be able to predict the unknown jobs, but can make assumptions on the skills necessary for success through connections

(Adjust foreign language offerings, revise curriculum after research, look into ways to

connect with other countries (Skype, for example), introduce career exploration early on at AMSA.)

D. BENCHMARKING Begin a study process to help us understand what we're talking about. Are there models

for such a process, perhaps analogous to the self-studies used in some kinds of accreditation?

Consider looking at not just educational institutions but other industry sectors for best

practices in their training departments. Assess how much of this information is readily available.

Conduct a National and International best practice educational institution evaluation on

a number of categories such as teaching methods, communication methods, technology adaptation in schools and other areas affecting learning.

Identify the academic areas that have the greatest opportunity for improvement?

Identify current academic areas where AMSA excels and ensure those teachers are

sharing their methodologies. Teachers visit, observe, and especially collaborate with other high performing like-

minded schools. (Identify best-in-class conferences to participate in.)

E. METRICS AMSA gets very few Ivys or other prestigious schools – a review of prior year AMSA

graduates shows few that get into colleges that score high on the US News College Rankings. This should be a topic of open discussion amongst the AMSA staff.

Set the standard for secondary education by ranking on the State level in the top 5

schools on each academic metric Track student progress through college and career.

2. PEOPLE (those who drive the innovation engine) – Administrators, Teachers, Students, Outside partners

A. ADMINISTRATORS

B. TEACHERS Retention and pipeline. Hiring right teachers to continue.

Strong teachers are at the heart of AMSA’s success. Teachers at AMSA are encouraged to

participate in professional development that is meaningful and specific to their field. (Definitely investigate outside of what is currently known.)

Every teacher has a budget of $1500 to put toward PD each year. Teachers have

opportunities to plan international trips that supplement their curriculum and knowledge.

Professional development re latest teaching trends

Teachers visit, observe, and especially collaborate with other high performing like-

minded schools. (Identify best-in-class conferences to participate in.)

C. STUDENTS We should continue to encourage visitors to come see our school and speak with our

students (e.g. Thermo Fisher, Okta, and TBG Security). Expose our students and teachers to new and exciting people, the newest tech, innovators and motivators, educators, writers, artists…etc.

Focus on real world internships and for students as a key way for learning (e.g.

Northeastern with co-ops) AMSA offers several courses that are usually offered only at colleges.

D. PARTNERSHIPS Partner with university education professors who research learning, including those with

learning disabilities as well as gifted learners Keep reaching out to companies. For example…encourage our computer science staff to

continue to be involved with the national computer science movement. This is just one area where AMSA continues to be cutting edge…cybersecurity, robotics, and our Technovation program.

Partnering with engineering and tech companies or colleges will offer a wider range of

opportunities for our students. Partnering with Thermo Fisher is a perfect example, resulting in the acquisition of an electron microscope! It is exciting to imagine what other resources could be introduced into our program by reaching out to a wide spectrum of industry.

Improve the quality of colleges our students get admitted to and attend.

3. INNOVATION ENGINE Process/feedback Metrics RACI (staffing)

ELEMENTS People (teachers and admin) Methodology of teaching delivery of curriculum Materials/curriculum Structure - stakeholder, ecosystem, communication, physical structure

4. STRUCTURE “Structure” that allows for autonomy in methodology preserving innovation and

excitement Evaluate schedule (yearly vs. semester/trimester based).

Work towards excellence by continuing to refine our processes and policies to make

AMSA a model school which eventually could be replicated and/or disseminated at a national level.

5. MATERIALS Move from our antiquated technologies: – bring in PowerSchool for the student

information system, and use a school online document portal like EZSCHOOLENROLL (EZSE). to update health and other school required forms

IT System

1. Learn from mistakes -> observe metrics in goal 2 to innovate and improve -> to

achieve 2 2. Structure, importance of department chairs

- retention - pipeline - embed in culture

3. Allow for innovation -> culture 4. Document the “model” 5. Develop processes/ability to attract and retain faculty

- voice matters - can try - respected/safe - $

6. Explicitly define the AMSA Way to ensure all meet/align 6. CULTURE Publish successful teaching strategies in peer-reviewed academic literature

Publish AMSA developed lesson plans, courses, or books under an open source license

like MIT. (Decide courses to target. Determine Platform(s) to use for the publication of content. )

Teachers visit, observe, and especially collaborate with other high performing like-

minded schools. (Identify best-in-class conferences to participate in.) How to provide teachers assistance to prepare quality submissions for prestigious

conferences - Look for or ideas in https://www.ted.com/topics/education AMSA is always a work in progress, a living organism. That is what makes us different

from most institutions of learning. Provide PD funds or bonuses for teachers and staff to present at best-in-class

conferences. (Identify best-in-class conferences to participate in. How to provide teachers assistance to prepare quality submissions for prestigious conferences.)

Document the special learning techniques. Set up meetings with other STEAM schools to share ideas. (Teachers must be willing to share and disseminate and partner with other schools.)

The core values will provide the support and stability that will allow for innovation and

growth. Requirement to achieve – must provide ability for staff to create, learn, share

- More staff to add hands to teach so teachers can innovate - More space to “lab” - More $ to achieve above

Key differentiator to other learning institutions 7. OTHER AMSA has a unique curriculum and key design elements, with a proven record of success. The program requires buy-in from teachers, students, and parents…. demanding a deep commitment to its rigorous program. AMSA teachers and administrators meet often to discuss what is working and what is not working. There is always the possibility for modification if warranted. This is one of the benefits of being a charter school.

APPENDIX 1

CURRENT METRICS

INTEGRITY EXCELLENCE COMMUNITY METRIC X AP Test Scores

X X X AP Access X MCAS Score

X MCAS Participation X SAT/PSAT

X X X Graduation Rate X X X College Acceptance X X X Dissemination (other schools,

community, others) X Family Engagement Survey X Employee Engagement Survey

X X X CRP – IEP* X X DESE Access and Equity (Low Income Ell-

recruit and retention plan) X X Grades X X Staff Evaluation

X X X Turnover/Retention

Additional measures proposed:

Partnership internship measure Similar measure to CRP-IEP for 504s and Ell

APPENDIX 2 PARKING LOT NOTES

Clear statement around the focus of the school on Math and Science versus Humanities or other areas. Put the “Advanced” back in AMSA & Stick to the mission. Academic excellence and whole child issue. Make progress towards business relationships, alumni, etc. But have not communicated success to build on broadly.