Bright Lights & Shadows

Lessons learned from exemplary Title I schools from both ends of

the student performance spectrum

Council of the Great City Schools Annual Fall Conference

Nashville 2007River DunavinRanjana Damle

Albuquerque Public Schools

2RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Albuquerque Public Schools

• 90,000 urban/ rural students• 12 high, 26 mid, 86 elementary • 64% Hispanic, Native & African

Amer.• 52% eligible free/ reduced lunch• 16% English learners• APS ~2% > proficient vs. NM on SBA

3RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Bright lights & shadows

• Examines high-performing as well as struggling Title I schools

• Current issues & initiatives

• Characteristics reported are not necessarily present at every school

4RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Participant selection criteria

5RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Data sources

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 5

• Principals

– interviews

– roundtable discussion

• On-site observation

6RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Data sources

• Principals

• Teachers

• Parents

• On-site observation

• Questionnaire

• Alternative governance plan

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 6

7RDA/rDu&RD/0707

• Principals not communicating clear expectations for student achievement

• Expectation of high student achievement differs within schools

• Lack of high performing learning culture

• School safety & discipline issues often discussed over instruction & achievement

• Some schools protect block schedule of math & reading, others allow interruptions, e.g., lunch, P.E.

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 7

Struggling Title I schools

Prioritizing student achievement

8RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Prioritizing student achievement

• AYP subgroups are generally not the focus of conversations

• Alternative language services vary from poorly structured to well structured

• Goals are set but not always tied to student achievement

• Teacher skills are uneven

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 8

9RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Prioritizing student achievement

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 9

• High expectations

• Clear plans for instructional improvement

• Priority on meeting AYP goals

• Set measurable goals for subgroups

10RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Integrated standards based programs

• Instructional programs not fully aligned to standards

• Vertical & horizontal curriculum articulation incomplete

• Instruction often not differentiated to take subgroup needs into account

• Implementation fidelity not well understood

• Some teachers resist core program procedures & content

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 10

11RDA/rDu&RD/0707

• In general, no school-wide core math or reading program

• Standards based progress report is beginning to be implemented

• Leveled bookrooms are common but inventory & use vary

• Struggling MSs ahead of the ESs in school-wide standards implementation

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 11

Struggling Title I schools

Integrated standards based programs

12RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Integrated standards based programs

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 12

•Standards-aligned curriculum

•Standards guide instruction

•Address English learners’ needs

•Professional development for programs

13RDA/rDu&RD/0707RDA/rDu&RD/0707 13

High-performing Title I schools

Integrated standards based programs

“We spent a year and a half looking at standards and coming up with our own power standards; at grade level and in the grade above, the grade below and then we vertically aligned it all. It helped focus instruction to be based on standards.”

14RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Using data to drive practice

• Staff not seeing connection between measurable expectation & achievement

• SBA & SCA often analyzed but not used universally to inform instruction

• Student work & data folders not widely used to drive instruction

• Staff sees testing as taking time from instruction, not as a planning tool

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 14

15RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Using data to drive practice

• Teacher developed assessments commonly used to track growth

• Intervention models not clearly specified

• Data not examined by subgroup; needs of subgroups not prioritized

• MS principals now working with leadership teams to analyze student performance

• PDSA used to analyze SCA data, identify needs of subgroups & inform instruction in MSs

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 15

16RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Using data to drive practice

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 16

•Student assessments guide instruction

•Using data from multiple sources

•Student-owned learning

•Identify students in danger of falling behind

– systems in place to help students who need individual support

17RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Using data to drive practice

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 17

“…one of the biggest things that changed is focusing on what students are learning, not on what teachers are teaching. I think that for so long we heard, well, I taught that. So they should know it, right?”

18RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Using data to drive practice

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 18

“We used to do a lot of charting and graphing of data, but we weren’t getting to the nitty-gritty of analyzing the data, and at this point I think we’ve gotten so much better at it. You know, we’re looking at it as a grade level, we’re looking at it as a goal team, and we’re looking to see where our gaps are and then we’re using it to drive instruction…”

19RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Effective use of resources

• Inconsistent availability of instructional resources, e.g., culturally relevant material, math consumables

• Technical challenges with SCA & web infrastructure

• Common strategy to address cultural awareness is social studies classes

• Fewer Tier III teachers in mid schools compared to the district average

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 19

20RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Effective use of resources

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 20

• Money

• Materials

• Staff

• Time

• Professional development & Collaboration

• Community

21RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Financial resources

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 21

“We wrote a Title VII grant through the federal government. We received $1.2 million… that was nice discretionary money.”

“We bought $100,000 worth of new books. We got capital money from the legislature and they allowed us to do that.”

22RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Community resources

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 22

“The first year I was there I found out that 12% of the students had a parent in prison. The counselor and I were dealing with these difficult issues with these kids and one day someone from Peanut Butter & Jelly said ‘we have a program for that, we’ll help and we’ll do groups.’ We both burst into tears. There are community resources out there to help us, the food bank, an extra counselor from Hogares...”

23RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

School leadership• Growing use of continuous

improvement strategies

• Staff given directives to use data, with limited specifics on “how to”

• Inconsistent instructional leadership, e.g., connecting data to instruction

• Principals’ classroom visits may not have clear rubric or feedback loop

• Some principals creating leadership structures to address goal setting & data use, e.g., goal teams

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 23

24RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

School leadership

• Pockets of staff resistance & low morale continue as challenges

• Limited monitoring of standards implementation, curriculum & instruction

• Little accountability & uneven buy-in for program implementation fidelity

• School culture that all students can learn is not universal

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 24

25RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

School leadership

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 25

• Sets vision

• Drives growth

• Systems-based management

– Continuous improvement

– Baldrige

• Instructional leader

• Builds capacity & teams

26RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Systems-based management

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 26

“We’re forever looking at data, analyzing data and putting data into action. We talk a lot about Plan, Do, Study, Act so I connect PDSA’s on purpose with my teacher’s PDPs. No matter what, everybody has to have an active PDSA and it counts towards their professional development plan, and it’s part of their evaluation.”

27RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Collaboration & PD

• Professional development not fully aligned with achievement data

• Focus on increasing instructional skills, e.g., core program fidelity, differentiated instruction, RTI

• Grade level collaboration & goal teams becoming more prevalent

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 27

28RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Collaboration & PD

Teachers request training in:

• Core programs with strategies for subgroups

• Expanded training in the use of data to inform individualized instruction

• Linking standards & curriculum

• Further Baldrige implementation

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 28

29RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Collaborative environment

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 29

“Every staff member belongs to a goal team and they make decisions. It’s created capacity and created ownership. The goal teams and teachers come up with ideas, processes and systems, thus they become more involved and they feel more ownership in what they’re doing. It’s helped to create that buy-in and they see the results.”

30RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Collaboration with peers

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 30

“I got involved with the Association of Elementary School Principals. That affords wonderful PD for principals.”

31RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Parent & community involvement• Principals say parents welcomed, get

information & understand student progress

• Parents often feel staff is unwelcoming

• Spanish speaking parents report difficulty getting pertinent information

• Parents understand student progress but not standards terminology

• Parental participation in school policy & decision making has often been ornamental

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 31

32RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Parent & community involvement

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 32

•School, family & community partnerships

•Social & wellness support

“We have a very strong parent component, parents are here all the time, they study with us, they take GED classes in English and Spanish, they take Spanish as a second language, English as a second language, nutrition, parenting skills, how to read to their children, how to interpret test results with children, how to talk to their teachers, I mean, all the things that we know are important for children to succeed and do well.”

33RDA/rDu&RD/0707

Struggling Title I schools

Current issues & initiatives• Aligning all instructional programs, services, &

materials across grade levels

• Implementing intervention models

• Building instructional skills, e.g., core program fidelity, differentiated instruction, RTI

• Providing staff assistance for analyzing data

• Improving support for ELL beyond math & reading

• Creating opportunities for parent involvement, offering services to meet community needs

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 33

34RDA/rDu&RD/0707

High-performing Title I schools

Believing in success

RDA/rDu&RD/0707 34

Overarching view of success

“…remember that it can be done; all kids can learn.”

35RDA/rDu&RD/0707

For more information

River Dunavin 848-8743Dunavin_r@aps.edu

Ranjana Damle 848-8738damle@aps.edu