Center on School Turnaroundat WestEd

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Race to the Top

School I

mprovement Grant

s

Alignment of Existing Federal Resources

ESEA Flexibility

Lowest- Performing

Schools

ED’s focus on helping states and districts turn around the lowest-performing schools.

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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT GRANT

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SEA Requirements

Identify schools Tier I, Tier II, priority, and focus

Develop SEA application, LEA guidance, and LEA application template

Review, approve, and award (including renewals and goals)

Consult with Committee of PractitionersPost application within 30 days of awardingManage and monitor effortReport data on leading indicators

LEA ResponsibilitiesEligible 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

ORMust 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)

Goals Proposes achievement goals for each participating school

Previous SIG 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

May also implement any of the required or permissible strategies under the Transformation Model

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, and 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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FISCAL YEAR 2014

CHANGES TO THE SIG PROGRAM

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New SIG Requirements

Incorporated FY 14 appropriation language Added new models

Allowing States to propose a new model Allowing districts to implement a model with at

least moderate level of evidence of effectiveness Allowed Rural districts to make

modifications Allowed States to make grants to districts

for up to 5 years.

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

GRANT

NEW MODELS

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SIG REQUIREMENTSEVIDENCE-BASED, WHOLE SCHOOL REFORM MODEL

Supported by evidence of effectiveness, include at least one study of the model that- Meet What Works Clearinghouse

evidence standards with or without reservations

Is a whole-school reform model as defined by requirements; and

Is implemented by the LEA in partnership with a whole-school reform model developer as defined in these requirements.

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SIG REQUIREMENTSEVIDENCE-BASED, WHOLE SCHOOL REFORM MODEL

Whole-school reform model -means a model that is designed to Improve student academic achievement Implemented for all students in a school; and Address, at a minimum and comprehensively, each

of the following: School Leadership Teaching and learning in at least one full academic

content area Student non-academic support Family and community engagement

Developer -an entity or individual that a. Maintains proprietary rights for the model; or b. If no entity or individual maintains proprietary

rights for the model, has a demonstrated record of success in implementing a whole-school reform model and is selected through a rigorous review process

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SIG REQUIREMENTSOffer full-day kindergartenEstablish or expand a high-quality preschool

program (as defined in requirements)Provide educators, including preschool teachers,

with time for joint planning across grades to facilitate effective teaching and learning and positive teacher-student interactions

Replace the principal who led the school prior to commencement of the early learning model

Early Learning Model

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SIG REQUIREMENTSImplement rigorous, transparent, and equitable evaluation

and support systems for teachers and principalsUse the teacher and principal evaluation and support

system to identify and reward school leaders, teachers, and other staff who, in implementing this model have increased student achievement and identify and remove those who, after ample opportunities have been provided for them to improve their professional practice, have not done so

Implement such strategies as financial incentives, increased opportunities for promotion and career growth, and more flexible work conditions designed to recruit, place, and retain staff

Early Learning Model (Cont’d)

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SIG REQUIREMENTSProvide high-quality, job-embedded professional

developmentUse data to identify and implement instructional

programs that: Research-based, developmentally appropriate, and

vertically aligned from one grade to the next matching State early learning and development standards and State academic standards

Promote the full range of academic content across domains of development, including math and science, language and literacy, socio-emotional skills, self regulation, and executive functions

Early Learning Model (Cont’d)

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SIG REQUIREMENTSAPPROVED STATE-DETERMINED MODEL

SEA may submit one state-determined intervention model

Must be a whole school reform model

Whole-school reform model means a model that is designed to Improve student academic achievement; Be implemented for all students in a

school; and Address, at a minimum and in a

comprehensive and coordinated manner, each of the following: School leadership Teaching and learning in at least one full

academic content area Student non-academic support Family and community engagement

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SIG REQUIREMENTSRURAL MODIFICATION

LEAs must qualify under the U.S. Department of Education’s REAP program

SEAs are to approve modification

Modification must meet intent and purpose

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SIG REQUIREMENTSEXTENDING GRANT LIFE: 5 YEAR GRANTS – MAY NOT EXCEED FIVE YEARS

Allows for a planning year for 1 year

Still requires 3 years of full implementation

Up to 2 years for sustainability activities

SEAs Discretion in approving

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SIG REQUIREMENTSOTHER NOTABLE CHANGES

Language alignment to include priority and focus schools

Enhanced the review and monitoring of external providers (also clarified the review of providers)

Added LEA requirement to monitor and support implementation

Modified the teacher and principal requirement

Reporting Changes (i.e., rural school with modified model, distribution of teachers by performance level on LEA’s teacher evaluation system

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Questions

Email Carlas McCauley at cmccaul@wested.org