new york state personnel development grant the s³tair project from panic to prototype: an...

New York State Personnel Development GrantNew York State Personnel Development GrantThe S³TAIR Project

From Panic to Prototype: From Panic to Prototype: An Examination of What It Takes to Turn An Examination of What It Takes to Turn Around a School In CrisisAround a School In Crisis

Panic: a situation or crisis identified by a school or district in which student outcomes were not meetingexpectations and/or requirements

Prototype: the current status of the school or districtwhich enabled it to be validated and serve as aproject mentor school

For the purpose of this presentation:

• How have schools moved from an environment of crisis into one of high performance?

• What commonalities exist between schools that have completed a “turnaround?”

• How do these schools’ experiences align with literature documenting school reform?

Guiding Questions

Project Premise

• Many schools and districts in New York State are providing evidence based effective practices resulting in success for students with disabilities.

• These schools' and districts' experiences in implementing and maintaining effective practices can help other schools and districts attempting to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

•Identify effective practices in the areas of literacy, special education instruction, and positive behavioral intervention and supports

•Document effective practices in regard to the planning, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of the program or practice

•Disseminate effective practice information using a Statewide Clearinghouse for Special Education Practices

•Facilitate the replication of these effective practices through mentor relationships in schools identified for needing improvement in outcomes for students with disabilities

Project Goals

Project Overview

•Schools or districts nominate a practice that fits within one or more of the targeted practice areas.

•The nominee completes an online survey detailing the practice and specific elements.

•A regional field facilitator interviews the nominee as a follow-up to the survey to determine is the practice meets project criteria.

•A site visit team comprised of the field facilitator, a representative from a local Institute of Higher Education, a specialist from a State-funded network, and a parent advocate collaboratively evaluate the practice using a State-developed research-based protocol.

Areas evaluated:

• Selection and research-basis of practice

• Use of data to inform decisions

• Fidelity of Implementation

• Context of Practice

• Evidence of Impact

• Evidence of Systemic Support

• Generalization of the Practice

• Evidence of Sustainability

Project Overview (continued)

Processes:

• Interviews

• Observations

• Review of documents

• Review of data

1. Niagara-Orleans BOCES2. Monroe 2 BOCES3. Penn Yann Elementary4.4. J.E. Lanigan ElementaryJ.E. Lanigan Elementary5. Sandy Creek Elementary6. Chenango Forks Elementary &

Middle Schools7.7. Morrisonville ElementaryMorrisonville Elementary8. Joseph Henry Elementary9. Cohoes Middle School10. Garden City Middle School11. May Moore Primary12. Longwood Elementary13.13.Sachem Central School Sachem Central School

DistrictDistrict

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4

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S3TAIR Project Mentor Schools

Practice: District-wide Data Based DecisionMaking Model for Literacy

Panic:- Proficiency rates on ELA Regents- Graduation rates of SWD- Borderline AYP

Prototype:- Collaboration- Causal analysis- Research & evidence- PD & implementation- Monitoring & adjustment

Case Study 1 – Sachem Central School District (Long Island)

Demographics

Grades K-12

Enrollment 15,000

Needs/Resource Category Avg.

Free & Reduced Lunch 10%

SWD 12%

Racial & Ethnic

White 86%

Black or African American 2%

Latino 8%

Asian or Pacific Islander 4%

SWD Comprehensive English Regents (65-100)

2002 - 2003 30%

2003 – 2004 32%

2004 – 2005 46%

2005 – 2006 47%

2006 – 2007 59%

2007 – 2008 81%

2008 – 2009 76%

Sachem – Evidence of Impact

SWD receiving Regents Diploma

2004 – 2005 27%

2005 – 2006 39%

2006 – 2007 43%

2007 – 2008 51%

2008 – 2009 55%

Sachem – Evidence of Impact

SWD Grades 3-8 Proficiency % on ELA

Year Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

2005-2006 35% 33% 30% 16% 15% 11%

2006-2007 35% 41% 41% 29% 29% 18%

2007-2008 39% 36% 44% 25% 36% 11%

2008-2009 40% 43% 51% 50% 55% 35%

Practice: Collaborative data based decision makingfor effective evidence based instructionAnd behavior intervention

Panic: School district’s decision to bring back all students with emotional and behavioralDisabilities and place them all atMorrisonville Elementary

Prototype: - 8:1:1 Students fully included into

general education context.- Intergraded co-teaching- Effective outcomes for students with

disabilities.

Case Study 2 – Morrisonville Elementary School (North Eastern NY)

Demographics

Grades K-5

Enrollment 326

Needs/Resource Category Average


SWD 9%

Racial & Ethnic

White 95%

Black or African American 2%

Latino 1%

Asian or Pacific Islander 1%

ODR Comparison Data

0

100

200

300

400

500

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800

1995-1996 2001-2002 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009

School Year

Nu

mb

er

of

OD

R's

mad

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Series1

1995-1996: 3-8:1:1 self contained classrooms

2001-2002 Full Inclusion (K-6)

Practice: School wide Positive BehavioralInterventions and Supports (PBIS).

Panic: Implemented in September 2003 toaddress an identified need to improve theoverall behavior and atmosphere withinthe school community.

Prototype:- Use of Tiered Interventions (Universal

Behavior Change Principals, Research Based Targeted and Intensive Interventions)

- Data Driven Support and PD- Collaborative Community Model- Addresses Needs of ALL students

Case Study 3 – James E. Lanigan Elementary School (Central NY)

Demographics

Grades K-6

Enrollment 460

Needs/Resource Category High


SWD 9.5%

Racial & Ethnic

White 94%

Black or African American 1.6%

Latino 1.82%

Asian or Pacific Islander 1.14%

Lanigan - Evidence of Impact Pro-social behavior increase - overall behavior referrals during the first two

marking periods of the 2008-09 school year dropping 32% from the same period in 2007-08, an average monthly decline from 3.76 referrals per day to 2.8.

*

* Implemented CICO# of Referrals

7

9

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00

1

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10

January '07 February '07 March '07 April '07

Lanigan - Evidence of Impact

Results of PBS School-wide Evaluation Tool (SET)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

ExpectationsDefined

Expectations Taught Rewards Systems Violations Systems Monitoring Management District Support

Oct '05 Oct '10

• Effective School Leadership• Clear Vision/Mission• Commitment to collection and use of data• Embedded professional development & on-going technical assistance. • Celebration of success• Purposeful and fluid use of Personnel & Resources• Ability to monitor & adjust• Causal analysis• Goal setting• Implementation of evidence based practices and strategies• High expectations for student achievement. • Focus on collaboration and community building• Ability to show examples of immediate progress (quick wins)

Critical Elements for turn around school improvement

• Effective School LeadershipEffective School Leadership• Clear Vision/Mission

• Commitment to collection and use of dataCommitment to collection and use of data• Celebration of success• Purposeful and fluid use of Personnel & Resources• Ability to monitor & adjust

• Embedded professional development & on-going Embedded professional development & on-going technical assistancetechnical assistance

• Causal analysis• Goal setting• Implementation of evidence based practices and strategies• High expectations for student achievement.


Effective School Leadership

Relevant Literature

• Ability to motivate• Sets high expectations and has vision• Stresses accountability• Effective communication and listening• Willingness to be a risk taker

Through their strength of their vision and personality, transformational leaders areable to inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions and motivations towork towards common goals. Transformational leaders challenge others to findnew ways of doing things, offer direct recognition of each followers contribution,motivate followers to adopt the shared vision, and serve as a model for others(Bass, 1985; Burns, 1978).

Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectation. New York: Free Press. Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper and Row.

James E. Lanigan Elementary

• Leader with a vision and skills to inspire • Expectations and Enthusiasm (Year One)

• Implementation and Support

• Consistent and Persistent Modeling and Communication

• Creation of a Team (Teachers, Staff, Parents)

Effective school leadership:

Sachem Central School District:

• Systematic & collaborative

• Unified vision & clearly defined goals/objectives

• District to Building to Classroom

• Research-driven


Effective school leadership:Brad Ott, Principal

Morrisonville Elementary School:

• “People” centered

• Hiring practices

• Vision (striving for excellence)

• Modeling

• Respect & Trust


Commitment to collection and use of data

Data collection: • training on data collection

procedures• data management system• multiple sources of data• purposeful data collection• periodic review of data practices

Data Analysis:• data driven decision making a

priority• analyzing data at multiple levels • all stakeholders collaborate to make

decisions about instruction at the classroom and system level.

Mc Clean (1995) contends that the implementation of a complete program ofData collection and use can lead to improvement of education as has no other educational innovation of the last century. Fundamental to this effort is equipping teachers and administrators with the skills and inclination to ask, “Is there a better way?”

Relevant Literature

McLean, James E. Improving Education Through Action Research: A Guide for Administrators and Teachers. The Practicing Administrator's Leadership Series. Roadmaps to Success. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, 1995. 87 pages. ED 380 884.



• Multiple source collection

• Multi-level analysis

• Management & review

Commitment to collection and use of data:

Morrisonville Elementary School:

• Daily use of data

• ““if you can’t produce the data, then it never if you can’t produce the data, then it never happened” happened”

• Common planning time

• Team approach

• Skill exchange among educators


Lanigan Elementary:

• Multiple sources of data collected

• Centralized data manager

• Structured organization of data meetings

• Provided a common ground for discussions and support

• Data as a tool to improved outcomes for all


Commitment to collection and use of data: Carlo Cuccaro – School Psychologist

Embedded professional development & on-going technical assistance

Research Findings

A stand-alone workshop has less than a 5% chance of actually changing teacher practice in the classroom. However, if you add on-going and embedded professional development, provide professional learning communities where teachers interact with their colleagues, and ensure on-going support from coaches and administrative staff, the chance of really affecting teaching and learning increases dramatically -- to nearly 90% (Joyce and Showers, 2002).

Joyce, B. & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

•Informed and influenced by research on teaching and learning •Aligns with district goals in both the long and short term •Responsive to teacher and student needs as indicated by data •Enables adequate time for skill building, implementation, and refinement •Continuous and ongoing with support throughout the process until mastery and beyond Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, 2006

Morrisonville Elementary:

• Needs Driven

• District level support

• Partnership with Plattsburg University

• Professional Learning Communities

Embedded professional development & on-going technical assistanceEmbedded professional development & on-going technical assistance

Lanigan Elementary:

• Received a NYS PBIS grant

• Started with a Core Team / In Depth PD

• Purposeful Sequence of PD Implementation in School

• 2 PBIS Coaches on Site

• Responsive on-going PD opportunities




• Research-driven & needs-driven

• Multifaceted & fluid

• Communities of learning & practice


Embedded professional development & on-going technical assistance:Embedded professional development & on-going technical assistance:Dr. Jill Karp, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction – Elementary Dr. Jill Karp, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction – Elementary

• How have schools moved from an environment of crisis into one of high performance?

• What commonalities exist between schools that have completed a "turnaround?“

• How do these schools’ experiences align with literature documenting school reform?

Guiding Questions

What’s next for these schools?

• Replication School Identification

• Structured Facilitation of Partnerships

• Sharing and Implementation of Effective Practice Components

• Documentation of Process / Improved Students Outcomes

Thank you for your attention throughout the presentation…

For more information visit:www.s3tairproject.org

Time for Questions and Answers…

new york state personnel development grant the s³tair project from panic to prototype: an...

Documents

project overview schools

effective practice information

schools experiences

data slide

s3tair project mentor

practice use of data

targeted practice areas

stair project