entry plan for the first 100 days - petersham center...

Entry Plan for the First 100 Days for

Tari N. Thomas

Interim Superintendent of Schools

Orange, Petersham and RC Mahar Regional

Orange, Petersham, R.C. Mahar Regional Schools

Entry Plan for First 100 Days for Superintendent Thomas

The school committees have charged Interim Superintendent Thomas with improving student achievement and making the three school districts’ systems more effective, efficient and aligned. In order to succeed in leading

and achieving this mission, Superintendent Thomas and the communities within the three consolidated districts must develop and implement strategic actions that are well informed. This entry plan guides the superintendent’s first 100 days as the new leader of the Orange, Petersham and R.C. Mahar Regional School Districts and enables her to make informed short- and long-term decisions that are reflective of the communities’ priorities and expectation and, most importantly, in the best interest of our students.

The focus of this entry plan is steeped in “listening and learning” activities with multiple internal and external

stakeholders, as well as a review of data, processes and policies, to quickly gain a thorough understanding of the school districts, including strengths and challenges, their core business of teaching and learning, their business systems, their cultures and the districts’ partnerships within the communities.

Goals:

To establish a plan for approaching the first one hundred days as interim superintendent;

To develop effective district governance policies and structures focused on student achievement through the formation of effective and positive school committee-superintendent relationships;

To lay the groundwork to build trusting, productive and collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including elected officials, staff, parents, students,

union leaders, institutions of higher learning, community organizations and the business sector

To assess the system’s strengths and challenges including the core business of teaching and learning, operational supports, business systems, finances and budgeting;

To develop the initial framework for a comprehensive strategic planning process that will

align the school district around student learning, align resources to ensure students are college and workforce ready and organize the district for high performance.

Expected Outcomes: It is anticipated that the implementation of this entry plan will result in the following outcomes and therefore enable the superintendent to make informed decisions and recommendations:

1. A comprehensive summary of the feedback obtained from the stakeholders engaged during the “listening and learning” activities set forth by this plan.

2. Summarized and detailed findings from all audits, reviews and evaluations of the districts’ organizational structure, programs, processes, systems and finances.

3. Assessment of executive leadership and organizational structure and identification of any design/staffing changes needed to ensure optimal productivity, efficacy and efficiency.

4. The framework for a comprehensive strategic planning process to improve student achievement to be

outlined in the 2013-2014 school year for development and implementation in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years, including a shared vision and mission, goals and priorities, and target outcomes and key metrics.

5. Each community committed to working together to do what is best for Orange, Petersham and R.C. Mahar Regional School students.

Structure and Timeline: The entry plan will be implemented from July through November 2013, which is approximately 100 days. This will allow the superintendent to meet with all stakeholders in various formal and informal venues, perform data

analyses, program and systems evaluations and lay the foundation for a comprehensive process in the future focused on developing a strategic plan based on the mutual expectations and priorities of the communities. The entry plan’s activities, based on goals and anticipated outcomes are organized into the following key areas:

I. Governance Teams II. Organizational Capacity and Alignment III. Student Achievement IV. Community and Public Relations

V. Operations and Finance

I. Governance Teams

The following activities are intended to establish working relationships with individual committee members and the Committee as a whole, ascertain the Committees’ priorities for the districts and lay the framework for a strategic process planned in the future that will further guide future district reforms.

“The work of leaders involves catalyzing the work, establishing the vision, and developing strategies for building leadership capacity within others.” Copland, 2003 Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis,

“In effective districts, the local board of education is aligned with and supportive of the non-negotiable goals for achievement

and instruction.” Marzano, 2009 Phi Delta Kappan

Task Constituency Group Timeline

Review roles and responsibilities of the

Committee and Superintendent (Review operating

protocol)

Committee & Superintendent

September, October 2013

Clarify the Committee Chair role as compared to

the entire Committee

Committee & Superintendent July, August, September 2013

Establish an entry plan with input from the

Committees and others

Committee & Superintendent July and August 2013

Conduct school visits with committee members

beginning in September

Committee & Superintendent September, October 2013

Visit various community organizations with

committee members

Committee & Superintendent September, Octoberr 2013

School Committee Interview Questions: (15 members between three committees)

1. Please give me a brief biographical sketch to help me know you.

2. Why did you seek election to the Committee? What do you hope to accomplish as a Committee member?

3. Please give me your own assessment of the school district’s instructional program. To what extent do others hold these

views in the community?

4. How do you assess the effectiveness of school personnel?

5. What do you see as the most important needs of staff?

6. What do you see as the two or three most important school system needs to be addressed by the Committee? By the staff?

7. What groups and individuals have major influences on the schools?

8. What are our system goals? Are they on target? What stands in the way of achieving them? How could we overcome the

obstacles?

9. What are your expectations of me as superintendent?

10. What is most important to preserve in the public schools? What is the most important to change?

11. Describe a difficult decision you had to make. What was the issue? How did you reach a decision? What did other people

think? Would you do anything differently now?

II. Organizational Capacity and Alignment

The following activities are intended to establish a strong and appropriately focused central office and administrative teams.


Clarify roles and relationship of each person in

the central offices for Orange, Petersham and

R.C. Mahar Regional.

Superintendent

& Central Office Staffs

June, July, August 2013

Determine current organizational and operational

norms.

Superintendent

& Central Office Staff

June, July, August 2013

Thoroughly review each district’s strategic plan,

planning process, accountability or performance

management system and project management

structure.

Superintendent, Admin Team


July & August 2013

Determine how communication and decision-

making will occur within the leadership team.



July, August & September 2013

Meet with key district office personnel (Business

Mgr., HR, special ed., technology…etc.) for an overview of their current area of responsibility,

major initiatives under way, a review of

significant or potential problems in each area of

responsibility and major decisions that need to be

made in one month, three months, and six

months.

Superintendent & Others

August & September 2013

Meet with each operational department: Food service, transportation, bldgs. & grounds for an

overview of their current

area of responsibility, major initiatives under

way, a review of significant or potential problems

in each area of responsibility and major decisions

that need to be made in one month, three months,

and six months.




Conduct one-on-one interviews and review

resumes and briefing reports with administrators,

department heads and central office personnel.




Initiate plans to establish key metrics for each

division to assess alignment to core function and

support for student achievement



September & October 2013

Establish leadership team’s standards of practice

Superintendent & Admin Team


Interviews and Briefings Interviews and briefings serve two different purposes. Interviews assist in helping me understand those things that are important to individuals relative to their roles and responsibilities. Briefings are intended to focus on

issues and tasks that are more critical or urgent in nature. Both interviews and briefings will be conducted with Central Office Staff. Interviews for Central Office: 1. Please give me a biographical sketch to help me know you. 2. What would you most like to accomplish in your position? 3. What do you see as the key issues in program, personnel, and school-community relationships? 4. What is the nature of the relationships between the superintendent/central office, central office/principals and

central office/community? 5. Who are the people and groups active in the schools? How do these people influence the schools? 6. What are our system goals? Are they on target? What stands in the way of achieving them? How could we

overcome the obstacles? 7. What is most important to preserve in our schools? What is the most important to change? 8. What has been or is most difficult for you in your position? 9. What changes, if any, in working relationships or job structure do you see necessary?

Briefings with Central Office: 1. Please describe your job in terms of scope and responsibility. 2. What are your most pressing short-term tasks? 3. What are your most pressing long-term tasks? 4. Please describe the recurring tasks in your area. 5. What special projects are you undertaking?

6. What tasks must be completed prior to the opening of school?

III. Student Achievement

The following activities are intended to understand current strategies as well as strengths and opportunities for improvement in the districts instructional program.

“The fundamental purpose of the school is to help all students learn the knowledge, skills, and dispositions most essential to their success.”

DuFour, et al., 2008 Revisiting professional learning communities at work: New insights for improving schools

“The impact of monitoring on student learning is nearly linear. More monitoring, more achievement. And effective monitoring

will focus not just on test scores but on the adult practices that led to the test scores.”

Reeves, D. (2011) Finding your leadership focus: Transforming professional learning into student results, K-12


Meet with district instructional leadership team to

discuss achievement data, instructional program

alignment and current goals and priority action

areas for the district

-determine degree of alignment with common

core standards

-determine degree of rigor embedded in curricula

Superintendent, Director of

Curriculum/Instruction & School

Principals


Review district accountability plan for

instructional areas



Principals


Analyze patterns in student achievement data and

achievement gaps in order to begin to assess

current state of teaching and learning



Principals

September, October & on monthly

basis 2013-2014

Assess current data and performance of all

schools and determine quality of actions (School

Improvement Plans or SIPs) designed for

continuous improvement



Principals

October 2013

Identify chronically underperforming schools,

departments, teams, etc… and conduct a root

cause analysis for low performance, then

determine course for corrective action



Principals

October 2013

Assess current professional development systems,

initially focusing on professional development for

instructional staff and building administrators



Principals

August, September & October

2013

Discuss current status and focus of strategic plan Superintendent, Director of


Principals

October & November 2013

Gain understanding of each school’s context;

academic and operational

Superintendent

& School Principals

August, September & October

2013

Listen to key issues and concerns school faces in

the coming year

Superintendent

& School Principals


Listen to how the work of principals can best be

supported

Superintendent

& School Principals


Survey school principals to gather information on

the operation of the District

Superintendent

& School Principals


Conduct administrative retreat to establish

rapport, procedures and expectations

Superintendent, Principals and other

administrators

August 2013

Ensure all necessary plans and preparations are in

place for an outstanding opening of schools

(safety plans, staff and student handbooks)

Superintendent, Principals and other

administrators

August 2013

Interviews with School Based Administrators or Principals:


2. What are the accomplishments you look upon with pride as a principal?

3. What goal would you most like to achieve in your building and what makes achieving it difficult?

4. What is the current state of the working relationships between the superintendent/principals, principal/principal, and

central office principals, system/community?

5. Please assess your building in terms of program and personnel.

6. What are our system goals? Are they on target? What stands in the way of achieving them? How could we overcome

the obstacles?

7. What individuals or groups influence the system? How is that influence achieved? 8. What would you most like to see preserved in your building? In the system?

9. What would you most like to see changed in your building? The system?

10. What responsibilities are the principal’s alone? What responsibilities are shared with other principals?

11. Are there areas of decision-making that are unclear? Curriculum, staffing, budgeting, maintenance, student services….

IV. Community and Public Relations

A detailed communications and engagement plan has been developed to support Superintendent Thomas’ entry

into the school districts and the communities. The primary objectives of the engagement and communications plan are to introduce the new interim superintendent to the Orange, Petersham and RC Mahar Regional staffs and communities; create a strong presence; establish relationships/rapport and establish critical communications channels with each targeted stakeholder group.

Targeted Stakeholders School Committees

Parents

Staff in all three districts

Union Leadership for Orange, Petersham and RC Mahar Regional

Students

Elected Officials – Town, County and State

Community Partners/Organizations/Safety Officials/Business Leaders

Higher Education Partners at MWCC, GCC and UMass-Amherst

Other School Districts, Superintendents- Dayle Doiron at Pioneer, Anthony Polito at Athol-Royalston and Michael Sullivan at

Gill-Montague

Media- Athol Daily News and the Greenfield Recorder

Communication and Engagement Opportunities for Staff:


New Teacher Orientation session

Superintendent & Induction Program

August 2013

Initial one-on-one meetings with leadership of all employee unions

Superintendent & Union Leaders August & September 2013

Group meeting with directors and coordinators Superintendent, Director of

Curriculum/Instruction & Principals


“Drop-in” open-door office hours with sessions

limited to 20 minutes; first come, first served,

beginning in September

Superintendent & Staff


Distribute Entry Plan survey to all staff to gather

information on the operations of the districts via

Survey Monkey.

Superintendent

Late September 2013

Visit each classroom in the three districts the first

week of school



August 2013

Understand structure, membership and

responsibilities of teacher groups (Collaboration

process, grade level teams, department teams,

committees…etc.)



August, September, October 2013

Interviews for Teachers’ Unions:


2. What are the students like in Orange, Petersham or RC Mahar Regional?

3. What are the district(s)’ strengths and challenges?

4. What are the key issues for you in your own work with the school district(s)?


central office, system/community?


the obstacles?

7. What individuals or groups influence the system? How is that influence achieved?

8. What would you most like to see preserved in our work together?

9. What would you most like to see changed in our collaboration?

10. What leadership has the Superintendent of Schools provided in the past? What do you wish s/he would provide in the

future?

Survey for all staff via Survey Monkey:

The purpose of this short questionnaire is to provide the new superintendent of schools with information about our school

community. The information collected will be summarized and shared with the board of education. Some information will be

used to develop district-wide priorities and goals. Thank you for your time and input.

1. What do you see as the school’s greatest strengths?

2. What do you see as the school’s greatest areas of growth?

3. Based upon your knowledge about our school community, what should the top three priorities be for the interim superintendent of schools and the school

committee?

4. Please tell us about yourself. This information will help us to organize the responses. Check all that apply.

□ Student

□ Teacher PK-2 Orange

□ Teacher 3-4 Orange


□ Teacher K-6 Petersham

□ Parent/Guardian Orange

□ Parent/Guardian Petersham

□ Parent/Guardian RC Mahar Regional

□ District Resident

□ Other school staff

□ Food Service staff member

□ Teacher assistant/para

Students, Families & the Community:

“Non-negotiable district goals should be established through a collaborative goal-setting process that involves key

stakeholders.”

Marzano, 2009 Setting the record straight on “high-yield” strategies

“A primary task in taking a company from good to great is to create a culture wherein people have a tremendous opportunity to

be heard and, ultimately, for the truth to be heard.”

Collins, 2001 Good to Great


Visit each school council (5) Superintendent, Principals & School

Council Members

October & November 2013

Individual school PTO meetings and events as

invited



September – December 2013

Meet with Student Council, 9-12 Superintendent & High School

Principal

September, January and June

Visit district summer school programs Superintendent & Director of Special

Services

July & August 2013

Community celebrations, including festivals, fairs,

etc.

Superintendent July – December 2013

Superintendent-sponsored meetings with community

organizations and groups/ meet & greets

Superintendent & hosts September – December 2013

Parent/Student/Community Survey:

The purpose of this short questionnaire is to provide the new superintendent of schools with information about our school

community. The information collected will be summarized and shared with the board of education. Some information will be

used to develop district-wide priorities and goals. Thank you for your time and input.

1. What do you see as the school’s greatest strengths?

2. What do you see as the school’s greatest areas of growth?

3. Based upon your knowledge about our school community, what should the top three priorities be for the interim superintendent of schools and the school

committee?

4. Please tell us about yourself. This information will help us to organize the responses. Check all that apply.

□ Student

□ Teacher PK-2 Orange



□ Teacher K-6 Petersham

□ Parent/Guardian Orange

□ Parent/Guardian Petersham

□ Parent/Guardian RC Mahar Regional

□ District Resident

□ Other school staff

□ Food Service staff member

□ Teacher assistant/para

Elected and Appointed Officials:


Initial and on-going meetings with Orange Town

Administrator

Superintendent & Town

Administrators

Starting August 2013

Initial phone call to each Select Board Chair in

Orange, Petersham, New Salem and Wendell,

followed up with a meeting/tour of town

Superintendent August, September & October 2013

Official phone calls to or meetings with county and

state elected officials and agency directors, as

appropriate

Superintendent September & October 2013

V. Operational Support and Business Systems

The following activities are intended to understand the current strategies, strengths and opportunities for improvement in the districts’ operations and finance areas.

“A critical task for school boards is the allocation of financial resources to bolster students’ academic achievement”

Land, 2002. School Boards under Review: Their Role and Effectiveness in Relation to Students’ Academic Achievement

“Public schools are being asked to do more with less for an increasingly more needy clientele.”

Larry Lezotte, 2008. Effective schools; Past, present, and future.


Review all employee group contracts and participate

in negotiations of renewals

Superintendent May, June, July, August, September

2013

Understand each district’s information technology

systems and plans for the future

Superintendent, Assistant


Curriculum/Instruction & Director of

Technology

August 2013

Understand district accountability plan for

operational areas

Superintendent & Central Office

Staff


Review districts’ financial projections, resources

allocation and budgeting processes

Superintendent & Business Manager May, June, July, August &

September 2013

Assess how each district’s budget and budgeting

process is aligned to support student achievement

Superintendent & Business Manager September 2013

Meet with attorney to review any legal issues

impacting the districts as well as to be briefed on

existing and proposed laws and regulations that may

impact the consolidated districts

Superintendent & Attorney


Review each district or school’s safety and crisis

plans

Superintendent, Facilities Directors

& Principals

July & August 2013

Review districts’ strategic communications plan Superintendent & Central Office

Staff


Data Collection Methods:

Identify and interview key personnel (Listed below)

Review data related to student achievement and student activities

Visit districts’ schools

Analysis of survey data via Survey Monkey

Individual and group discussions

Interviews to be Scheduled/Individuals to Meet:

Board members from all three districts (15)

Building administrators

Business manager

Grants Manager

Special Education Director

Technology Director

Athletic Director

Association Presidents

Community:

o Town Administrator, Diana Schindler in Orange

o Selectboard and Finance Committee Chairs in Orange, Petersham, New Salem and Wendell

o Police chiefs in Orange and Petersham, County Sheriff

o Fire chiefs in Orange and Petersham

o State representatives o Service organizations

o Select Individuals

Cara Deane – former committee member

Dana Kennan- former committee member

Angela Littlewood – former committee member

Eileen Perkins – former Superintendent of Schools and current Finance Committee member

Dr. Helen Vivian – former Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Patricia Martin – former Superintendent of Schools

Walt Owens– Director Wheeler Memorial Library

Dan Haynes - Auditor with Scanlon & Associates

Cliff Fournier – Council on Aging, Orange and former School Committee Chair

Bob Andrews – former Selectboard member /regional planning committee

Frank Zak – former principal

Robert Haigh – former principal or Enver Softic

Kurt Enko – former teacher

Demil Kovacevic – former teacher

Dale Bull – former town administrative assistant, Petersham

Interview Questions for Various Stakeholders:


12. What are the students like in Orange, Petersham or RC Mahar Regional?

13. What are the district(s)’ strengths and challenges?

14. What are the key issues for you in your own work with the school district(s)?


central office, system/community?


the obstacles?

17. What individuals or groups influence the system? How is that influence achieved?

18. What would you most like to see preserved in our work together? 19. What would you most like to see changed in our collaboration?

20. What leadership has the Superintendent of Schools provided in the past? What do you wish s/he would provide in the

future?

Document Review:

Strategic Plan/District Plan for each district

Districts’ budgets

Districts’ financial audit

Salary schedules/placement guides for all three districts

Administrative procedures

Board policies, regulations and exhibits

Administrator job descriptions

Key personnel evaluations

Content standards, curriculum maps and pacing guides for all three districts

School improvement plans for all five schools

Student and faculty handbooks for all three districts

Federal grants and other funded grants for all three districts

Capital Improvement Plan for all three districts

Technology Plan for all three districts

Crisis Management Plans for all five schools/three districts

Next Steps:

To set the entry plan into motion, observing and meeting with individuals, holding focus groups, surveys and other

forums to ask the guiding questions. Once achieved, the Superintendent shares findings and compiles the data

acquired. Then, along with the school committees and staff, works to identify priorities to inform the development

of strategic plan in FY15 and FY16 with input from community and district stakeholders.

Responses and planning can be framed around the following:

What do we want the Orange, Petersham and RC Mahar Regional School districts to be best known for? How can

we maintain momentum for the journey forward?

leverage increased achievement given fiscal constraints?

Report to School Committees planned for December 2013

Tari N. Thomas

Interim Superintendent of Schools

Consolidated Districts of Orange, Petersham, RC Mahar

Draft: July 9, 2013

Draft: August 7, 2013

Final: August 20, 2013

entry plan for the first 100 days - petersham center...

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