Demographics, Data, Decisions: Addressing Student Needs Today

Stephan Knobloch, Ed.D.

Research Supervisor Loudoun County Public Schools

Making the Message Matter Institute July 2007

Make the Message Matter

Situational awareness:– Accountability shifts– Global and technological shift– Information growth– Local, state, and federal policy shifts

Each voice needs to be heard! Collaboration, cooperation, and communication

matter!

Whose Message Matters?

What’s happening in the intersection at your

school/division?

School Board Goals (Regional)- 4 Year Cycle

Student needs, Parent desires, Staff goals (Local) - 2 to 6 Year Cycle

AYP (NCLB)High-stakes tests(Federal) (SOL-Virginia) - 1 Year Cycle

Accreditation (State) – Annual Cycle

Southern Association of Colleges (SACS)– 5 Year Cycle

School Improvement Planning Model

Direct Facilitation of Learning (Instructional Component)

Addressing Barriers to Learning (Enabling or Learning Supports Component)

Governance and Resource Management (Management Component)

(Source: UCLA, 2005)

Improvement Matters?

What does each role associate with the concept of “improvement”?

Administrator - - - - -

Student - - - - -

Parent - - - - -

Teacher - - - - -

A reflection of school improvement?

I followed the instructions.Something isn’t quite right…

"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.“

~Benjamin Franklin

"Without change there is no innovation, creativity or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable."

~William Pollard

“Improvement requires vision from multiple perspectives. The most important perspective isn’t yours.”

~Stephan Knobloch

“Create your own quote?”~Your Name

Quotable Quotes

Which Change(s) Are We Addressing?

Accountability Administration Assessment Co-curricular Program Curriculum Information Instruction Resources School Structure Student Demographics Teacher Demographics Technology

Distribution of Loudoun County Public Schools' Student Population

5% 5% 6% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% 11

%

12%

12%

5% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% 11

% 12% 12

%

13%

9% 9% 9%

9%

8%

9%

8%

8%

8%

8% 8%

82%

81%

79%

78%

76%

74% 72

%

70% 67

%

65%

64%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

% White

% Black

% Hispanic

% Asian

% Am. Ind.

% Unspecified

Competing Pressures for Change

Loudoun County Public Schools– 34 new schools of 70 since 1997

Student Population– 79.3% growth (1997-2007)

(23,616 to 53,396) Leadership

– School Board Shift Appointment to Election in 1995

– Senior Staff 3 of 9 new Asst. Supt. In 2 Years

– School Principals 37 of 70 (52.8%) New Leadership

VA DoE Standards and Assessment

– SOL adopted in 1995– SOL tests administered in 1998

NCLB– 2003-04 shifted from 10% increase

every 3 years to 4% every year Others

– What pressures of change exist in your school/division?

Which way is the wind blowin’ in your

school/division?

5 Necessary Conditions for Improving School Systems

Effective leadership of systems for desired results Policies and practices to sustain improvement Resource and support systems to sustain improvement Quality teacher for desired results Quality information for desired results (NSSE, 2006)

Three Core Tasks to Improve Student Learning

Ensured Desired Results– Expect desired results– Monitor performance

Improve Teaching and Learning– Support students in their learning– Maximize teachers’ effectiveness

Foster a culture for improvement– Develop a learning community– Lead for improvement (NSSE, 2006)

It is not always what we know or analyzed before we make a decision that makes it a great decision. It is what we do after we make the decision to implement and execute it that makes it a good decision.

~ William Pollard

Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit.

~ William Pollard

Words of Wisdom

0

5

10

15

20

25

2000 2003 2006

Perc

ent

Econ. Dis.Sp. Ed.LEPMinority

50

60

70

80

90

100

2000 2003 2006

SOL Pass Rates

English

Math

Science

History

Writing

One High School’s Story

Our MissionOur Mission

[Name] High School seeks to create an environment which promotes learning and growth for each student.

Our VisionOur VisionTo educate students by providing them with thinking strategies, career choices, examples of respect, tolerance for others, and opportunities to learn.

To give them a sense of responsibility to self, society, and the environment and to enable them to relate to and interact with the community.

To instill in each student an appreciation for integrity, knowledge, and intellectual curiosity.

To meet state and local requirements, in cooperation with parents and community organizations.

To emphasize the importance and satisfaction of lifelong learning.

To educate our students by providing instruction to meet their different learning styles and abilities.

To encourage students to develop skills in the areas of acquisition of knowledge, comprehension and application, analysis and synthesis, and evaluation.

To prepare students for our ever-changing society by presenting diverse opportunities for continued development in academic, technological, and vocational competencies.

To monitor students’ progress through a variety of methods.

Data Analysis and Decision-Making Protocol

LCPS Goals School Data Target Data

2. English language proficiency and achievement will improve among non-English speaking students.

63.6% of LEP students passed the 11th grade SOL in Reading, Literature, and Research. 75.9% of LEP students passed Math SOL tests. 57.9% of LEP students passed Science SOL tests.

67.2% of LEP students pass the 11th grade SOL in Reading, Literature, and Research. (87.5%) 78.3% of LEP students pass Math SOL tests. (70%) 62.1% of LEP students pass Science SOL tests.

School Data at a Glance – Meeting LCPS Goals

LCPS GoalLCPS Goal School DataSchool Data Target DataTarget Data

3. Eliminate the disparity in achievement among identified racial/ethnic and socio-economic groups.

RACE/ETHNICITY

Grade 11 passing Reading SOL test.

78.9% Blacks 69.6% Hispanics 93.3% Whites

Grades 9-12 passing Math SOL tests.

59.3% Blacks 55.9% Hispanics 78.6% Whites

SES GROUPS

Grade 11 passing Reading SOL test. 38.9% Economically disadvantaged (ED) 61.1% of non-ED who passed98.4% Non-ED (Correction)

Grades 9-12 passing Math SOL tests. 64.7% ED 35.3% Non-ED78.7% Non-ED (Correction)

RACE/ETHNICITY

Grade 11 Reading SOL test. 81% Blacks (82.6%) 72.6% Hispanics (60.0%) 95% Whites (91.9%)Grades 9-12 passing Math SOL tests. 63.4% Blacks (64%) 60.3% Hispanics (70.8%) 80.7% Whites (85.3%)

SES GROUPS

Grade 11 Reading SOL test. 45% ED (64%) 65.1% Non-ED

Grades 9-12 passing the Math SOL tests. 68.2% ED (66.2%) 41.8% Non-ED

School Data at a Glance – Meeting LCPS Goals

LCPS GoalsLCPS Goals School DataSchool Data Target DataTarget Data

3. Eliminate the disparity in achievement among identified racial/ethnic and socio-economic groups.

RACE/ETHNICITY

Grades 9-12 passing Science SOL tests.

57.5% Blacks 64.2% Hispanics 94.6% Whites

SES GROUPS

Grades 9-12 passing the Science SOL tests. 54.9 ED 45.1% Non-ED

91.6% Non-ED

Correction

RACE/ETHNICITY

Grades 9-12 passing Science SOL tests. 63.6% Blacks 67.8% Hispanics 96% Whites

SES GROUPS

Grades 9-12 passing the Science SOL tests. 59.4% ED Economically disadvantaged 40.6% of Non-ED

School Data at a Glance – Meeting LCPS Goals

LCPS GoalsLCPS Goals School DataSchool Data Target DataTarget Data

4. At least 90% of students will pass all required SOL tests.

ALL STUDENTS 90.9% of students passed the Reading SOL test.. 75.3% of students passed the Math SOL tests.. 87.9% of students passed the Science SOL tests

ALL STUDENTS 92% of students pass the Reading SOL test.. (92.1%) 77.8% of students pass the Math SOL tests. (82.7% ALG1; 86.8% GEO; 81.0% ALG2) 89.1% of students pass the Science SOL tests. (83.7% ES; 89.5% BIO; 92.9% CHEM)

5. All graduates will demonstrate readiness for continuing education and entry level skill for immediate employment.

ALL STUDENTS 81.4% of students indicated a plan to attend a two- or four-year college. 97% of students indicated a plan for post graduation.

ALL STUDENTS 83.4% of students indicate a plan to attend a two- or four-year college. 99% of students indicate a plan for post graduation.

6. LCPS will promote programs that enhance students’ health, safety, and well-being.

94.89% Attendance Rate. 95% Graduation Rate. 1674 Discipline Infractions.

96.89% Attendance Rate. 97% Graduation Rate. 1500 Discipline Infractions.

School Data at a Glance – Meeting LCPS Goals

School-Level Collaboration

Communication Systems– School Community– Teacher Administrator– Student Teacher– Parent Teacher– Administration Parent

Decision-Making Teams– School Improvement Team– Professional Learning Communities– Communities of Practice– PTSA– SCA

How does each group communicate?

What are preferred methods of communication?

What processes are used to make and monitor decisions?

What organizational structures support decision making?

LCHS Parent Survey Data

Are there other data regarding this topic?

What data popout at you?

What are some possible actions that can be taken to address the data implications?

What targetscan be set to address theconcerns from the data?

Monitor actions:- Who- When- How

The purpose of collaborating is to achieve collective results that participants would be unable to accomplish working alone. Outcomes include:

Improvement Is a Collaborative Effort!

Shared objectives A sense of urgency and commitment A sense of belonging Open communication Mutual trust and respect Realizing complementary diverse skills and knowledge Intellectual agility Interdependence in framing goals and approaches Individual latitude in carrying out a design the group arrived at

jointly (Garmston, 2007)

Rethink How We School

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

~ Alvin Toffler

It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.

~ Albert Einstein

Citations

ThinkExist.com Quotations. “improvementquotes”. ThinkExist.com Quotations Online 1 Jun. 2007. 19 Jul. 2007. http://einstein/quotes/with/keyword/improvement/2.html.

Wisdomquotes.com Quotations. “educationquotes”. WisdomQuotes.com Quotations Online 1 Jul. 2007. 19 Jul. 2007. http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_education.html.

Garmston, R., Center for Adaptive Schools: Building Capacities for School Improvement. 1 20 Jul. 2007. http://www.adaptiveschools.com.

Technical Guide to School and District Factors Impacting Student Learning. National Study of School Evaluation, 2004. 1 15 Jun. 2007. www.nasse.org. Revised August, 2006.

School Improvement Planning: What’s Missing? Spring, 2005. Center for Mental Health in Schools, UCLA. http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu.

Barnes, F. (2004). Making School Improvement Part of Daily Practice. Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University

For more information, contact:

Stephan Knobloch, Ed.D.Research SupervisorLoudoun County Public Schools21000 Education CourtAshburn, VA 20148Email: Stephan.Knobloch@loudoun.k12.va.usVoice: 571-252-1484Fax: 571-252-1633

Thank You!