Post on 27-Mar-2015
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Turning Around Low-Performing Schools
REL AppalachiaCharleston, West Virginia, September 2011
Sam ReddingCenter on Innovation & Improvement
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The Turnaround EraThe Turnaround Era
Before the IES Practice Guide
The IES Practice Guide
Context for the Practices
Leadership for Change
The Things You Already Know
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Before the Practice GuideBefore the Practice Guide
RestructuringRestructuring
Business Concept – in business turnarounds and bankruptcy
NCLB Restructuring (change in governance)1. State Take-Over2. Turnaround – usually change in
leadership and other change3. Reopen as Charter School4. Contract to an Education Management
Organization (EMO)5. Other (96% of restructuring -- CEP)
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The IES Practice GuideThe IES Practice Guide
Four Recommended PracticesFour Recommended Practices
Signal the need for dramatic change with strong leadership.
Maintain a consistent focus on improving instruction.
Make visible improvements early in the school turnaround process. (quick wins)
Build a committed staff.
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InterrelationshipInterrelationship
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Recommended Practice #1Recommended Practice #1: :
Signal the need for dramatic change with
strong leadership.
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Recommended Practice #1: Recommended Practice #1:
Signal the need for dramatic change with strong Signal the need for dramatic change with strong leadershipleadership..
Schools should make a clear commitment to dramatic changes from the status quo, and the leader should signal the magnitude and urgency of that change.
A low-performing school that fails to make adequate yearly progress must improve student achievement within a short timeframe—it does not have the luxury of years to implement incremental reforms.
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New vs. Continuing PrincipalNew vs. Continuing Principal
Credibility as change agent
No existing relationships to dismantle
ID principal with “change leader” skills ______________________________
No learning curve
Existing relationships to build on
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NEW
CONTINUING
Leadership PracticesLeadership Practices Sharing responsibility (leadership team, lead
teachers) Principal as instructional leader Strong leadership
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PrincipalTeachers
Principal
Teacher
Signaling ChangeSignaling Change
Communicate clear purpose to staff and community
Monitor teacher and student performance
Become more accessible to staff and students
Deal directly and immediately with problems
Campaign in the community/district
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Communicating About Dramatic Communicating About Dramatic ChangeChange
1. Brutal Facts—life prospects for students2. Vision of What Could Be—results in
similar schools3. Pathway to Achieve Vision—- plan- procedures- practices- expectations-metrics4. Culture of Candor
Recommended Practice #2Recommended Practice #2
Maintain a consistent focus on improving
instruction.
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Recommended Practice #2:Recommended Practice #2:
Maintain a consistent focus on improving instruction.Maintain a consistent focus on improving instruction.
Chronically low-performing schools need to maintain a sharp focus on improving instruction at every step of the reform process.
To improve instruction, schools should use data to set goals for instructional improvement, make changes to immediately and directly affect instruction, and continually reassess student learning and instructional practices to refocus the goals and refine the practices.
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Using Data to Improve Using Data to Improve InstructionInstruction
School level: identify instructional focus — target subjects, subgroups
Class level: identify teachers’ professional development needs; topics for re-teaching
Student level: identify skills and knowledge each student needs to master
Continually assess progress towards goals.
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Changing InstructionChanging Instruction
Teacher collaboration: common planning time, disciplined instructional planning
Targeted professional development: embedded professional development, targeted to need based on classroom observations and student outcomes
Curriculum review and alignment
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Instructional CoreInstructional Core Maintain a sharp focus on improving instruction
at every step of the reform process Expect universal application of effective practice Expect disciplined, collaborative planning and
data analysis Provide aligned and differentiated instruction in
multiple modes Use data to:- set goals for instructional improvement - make changes to immediately and directly affect instruction- continually reassess student learning and instructional
practices to refocus the goals and refine the practices
Recommended Practice #3Recommended Practice #3
Make visible improvements early in the school
turnaround process.
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Recommended Practice #3Recommended Practice #3
Make visible improvements early in the school Make visible improvements early in the school turnaround process.turnaround process.
Quick wins can rally staff around the effort and overcome resistance and inertia.
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StrategiesStrategiesGoals
One or two, narrow goals, can be achieved quickly Must be important to stakeholders and make visible
improvement Must be do-able without additional resources or authority Should contribute to long-term goals
Implementation Do it quick Plow through protests Follow up
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ExamplesExamples Use of time: more planning, more
uninterrupted instructional time
Resources: dedicated teacher work space, texts and materials available on time
Physical plant: clean, paint school; displays
Discipline: teachers, administrators visible; reduce transitions between classes; hands-down rules
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Recommended Practice #4Recommended Practice #4
Build a committed staff.
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Recommended Practice #4 Recommended Practice #4
Build a committed staff.Build a committed staff.
The school leader must build a staff that is committed to the school’s improvement goals and qualified to carry out school improvement.
This goal may require changes in staff, such as releasing, replacing, or redeploying staff who are not fully committed to turning around student performance and bringing in new staff who are committed.
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Assess, Redeploy, Replace, Recruit Assess, Redeploy, Replace, Recruit StaffStaff
Assess skills, knowledge, and will
Redeploy if staff fit another necessary role
Replace if necessary
Recruit to fit needs
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Competence Fit Willingness
CONTEXT CONTEXT
FOR FOR
THE PRACTICESTHE PRACTICES
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Why These Practices?Why These Practices?
How are turnaround practices different from other school reform practices?
What is the evidence that these practices contribute to school turnaround?
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Turnaround and School ReformTurnaround and School Reform
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District Support
CSR, effective instruction, etc.
Turnaround
Evidence BaseEvidence Base
10 case studies; 35 schools◦ 21 elementary schools◦ 8 middle schools◦ 6 high schools
Turnarounds with new leaders and staff
Business turnaround literature
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Levels of EvidenceLevels of EvidenceStrong Requires
(1) studies whose designs can support causal conclusions (internal validity) and (2) studies that in total include enough of the range of participants and settings on which the recommendation is focused to support the conclusion that the results can be generalized to those participants and settings (external validity).
Moderate Requires (1) studies that support strong causal conclusions but where generalization is uncertain or (2) studies that support the generality of a relationship but where the causality is uncertain.
Low Based on expert opinion derived from strong findings or theories in related areas and/or expert opinion buttressed by direct evidence that does not rise to the moderate or strong level. Low evidence is operationalized as evidence not meeting the standards for the moderate or high level.
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Panel Members and StaffPanel Members and Staff
Panel Rebecca Herman (Chair), American Institutes for Research Priscilla Dawson, Philadelphia and Trenton Public Schools
(retired) Thomas Dee, Swarthmore College Jay Greene, University of Arkansas Rebecca Maynard, University of Pennsylvania Sam Redding, National Center on Innovation & Improvement
Staff Marlene Darwin, American Institutes for Research
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Leadership for ChangeLeadership for Change
Leader ActionsLeader Actions
School Turnarounds: Actions and Results, 2008, Center on Innovation & Improvement
Dana Brinson, Julie Kowal and Bryan C. Hassel of Public Impact for the Center on Innovation & Improvement. Lauren Morando Rhim and Eli Valsing also contributed.
Leader Actions: Leader Actions: Initial Analysis and Problem SolvingInitial Analysis and Problem Solving
Collect & Analyze DataMake Action Plan Based on Data
Leader Actions:Leader Actions:Driving for ResultsDriving for Results
Concentrate on Big, Fast Payoffs in Year One
Implement Practices Even if Require Deviation
Require All Staff to ChangeMake Necessary Staff ReplacementsFocus on Successful Tactics; Halt OthersDo Not Tout Progress as Ultimate
Success
Leader Actions:Leader Actions:Influencing Inside and OutsideInfluencing Inside and Outside
Communicate a Positive VisionHelp Staff Personally Feel Problems
(of students)Gain Support of Key InfluencersSilence Critics with Speedy Success
Leader Actions:Leader Actions:Measuring, Reporting (and Improving)Measuring, Reporting (and Improving)
Measure and Report Progress Frequently
Require all Decision Makers to Share Data and Problem Solve
What Data? Who Solves Problems?
The Things You Already KnowThe Things You Already Know
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What Happened About Year What Happened About Year 7?7?
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Millard Fillmore SchoolScores on State Assessment
Year 1 Year 7 Year 9Year 4 Year 12
What happened about Year 7?
List 3 actions that most contributed to Millard Fillmore’s improvement.
Change of principals, students, teachers doesn’t count.
Proximal Variables for Student Proximal Variables for Student LearningLearningThe student’s – prior learning, which teachers have provided; metacognitive skills, which can be taught; motivation to learn and sense of self-efficacy, which a teacher
nurtures; effort and time on task, which a teacher expects; interaction—academic and social—with teachers and other students; family’s engagement and support for learning, which a teacher
curries.
The teacher’s - instructional planning and classroom management; instructional delivery through a variety of modes; personalization (individualization) of instruction for each
student; taught and aligned curriculum, designed by teacher teams.
You have been the principal in a You have been the principal in a successful turnaround. In 3 years successful turnaround. In 3 years
your school has been your school has been transformed! Of course, you transformed! Of course, you
followed the 4 IES followed the 4 IES recommendations, and you also recommendations, and you also
applied the 14 leader actions. But applied the 14 leader actions. But then, it really isn’t all about you.then, it really isn’t all about you.
So . . . So . . .
1. What changed in your school that really mattered for a student? What directly contributed most to improved student learning?
2. You are leaving the school after this year. What must you do, internally, to ensure that the school’s gains will not be lost? Specifically, how will the school sustain whatever you identified in #1 as the key contributor to improved student learning?
3. What can your district do to ensure that your school’s gains are not lost when you leave?
4. What can the state do to ensure that your school’s gains are not lost when you leave?
How would your answers above change if your school is a high school, elementary school, middle school?
ResourcesResourcesThe free practice guide is available from IES at
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/practiceguides
Support materials available atdww.ed.gov
Other turnaround resources at: www.centerii.org
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Sam ReddingCenter on Innovation & Improvement
sredding@centerii.org
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