Pinellas County Schools

Turnaround Recommendations2017-18

“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb, for that is where the fruit is.”

Progress to Date / School Grades

Largest School DistrictsSchool Grades 2016

% of Schools with an A, B or C

% of Schools with a D or F

Pinellas 91% 9%

Palm Beach 90% 10%

Dade 88% 12%

Orange 83% 17%

Broward 82% 18%

Hillsborough 78% 22%

Duval 74% 26%

Polk 73% 27%

Progress to Date / Turnaround Schools

18

*8

02468

101214161820

2015 2016 2017

Pinellas County Schools State Accountability Data

# of DA / Turnaround Schools

?

* - the eight schools are:1. High Point Elementary – Focus2. Azalea Middle – Focus3. Melrose Elementary – Priority4. Fairmount Park Elementary – Focus5. Campbell Park Elementary – Priority6. Lakewood Elementary – Focus7. Gulfport Elementary – Focus8. John Hopkins Middle - Focus

State Turnaround Option Selections / 2016-17

Current Options:

☐ Option 1: District-Managed TurnaroundThe district will manage the implementation of the turnaround plan in the school.

☐ Option 2: ClosureThe district will reassign students to another school or schools and monitor progress of each reassigned student.

☐ Option 3: CharterThe district will close and reopen the school as one or more charter schools, each with a governing board that has a demonstrated record of effectiveness.

☐ Option 4: External OperatorThe district will contract with an outside entity that has a demonstrated record of effectiveness to operate a school.

☐ Option 5: HybridThe district will implement a hybrid of turnaround options 1-4 or other reform models that have a demonstrated record of effectiveness.

State Turnaround Option Selections / PROPOSED for 2017-18

Schools of Hope / Legislation / Requirements

☐ Option 1: District-Managed Turnaround / Now available only for two yearsThe district will manage the implementation of the turnaround plan in the school.

Upon third year of a D or F, only the following options are available:☐ Option 2: ClosureThe district will reassign students to another school or schools and monitor progress of each reassigned student.

☐ Option 3: CharterThe district will close and reopen the school as one or more charter schools, each with a governing board that has a demonstrated record of effectiveness.

☐ Option 4: External OperatorThe district will contract with an outside entity that has a demonstrated record of effectiveness to operate a school.

☐ Option 5: HybridThe district will implement a hybrid of turnaround options 1-4 or other reform models that have a demonstrated record of effectiveness.

Schools of Hope / Legislation

• Public schools that earn two consecutive grades less than a C under the state’s A-F grading system are required to implement an improvement plan that must include “wraparound” services (tutorial and after-school programs, student counseling, nutrition education, parental counseling, and adult education.)

• A low performing school is defined as one that has earned three consecutive ratings lower than a C or one that was closed due to performance within the previous two years.

• Schools of Hope funding, which is determined by the Department of Education for up to $2000 per student, would be available for up to 25 schools including district schools and charters and could be used for providing professional development, hiring and paying teachers, or extending the school day or year.

• Eligible charter school operators would be able to qualify if they meet certain demographic and performance criteria, have received certain federal or private grants, or if districts choose them to take over public schools. They may open “schools of hope,” which may serve students from one or more “persistently low-performing schools,” may be located in the attendance zone or within a 5-mile radius of a “persistently low-performing school,” whichever is greater and they would be eligible for Title I funding.

Research Framework for School Turnaround

Based on State Turnaround Model / Connected to Research from University of Chicago

5Essentials:

• Effective leadership• Collaborative teachers• Supportive environment• Involved families• Ambitious instruction.

•Effective Turnaround Leadership: School leaders can build buy-in and support for turnaround efforts by implementing “quick win” strategies, which are actions that can be easily adopted and result in rapid improvement. School turnarounds usually involve a significant degree of principal autonomy in an effort to meet the needs of a specific school or student population, meaning that many turnaround strategies are highly contextualized within a given school.

•Talent Management / Collaborative Teachers: Creating the environment for success requires having the right people in place to carry out the work, including the selection of school leaders and highly effective teachers and staff. Creating an expectation and culture for continued teacher growth and development is also critical, including an intentional plan for teachercollaboration (PLCs) and planning.

•Positive Climate and Culture / PBIS. School safety and positive disciplinary systems are often emphasized early in the school turnaround process as a way to establish order and build community within the school. PBIS provides a tiered disciplinarysystem that focuses on problem-solving to reduce instances of student misbehavior through education and intervention,

•Rigorous Instruction / Effective Assessment: A core component of the work involves data-driven instruction to create an evidence-based approach to better serve students. This includes a cohesive assessment strategy, responsive data systems and a high-quality curriculum.

•District support / Turnaround Office: Districts can support turnaround success by creating a pro-turnaround culture and supporting efforts of principals to implement dramatic changes, despite potential staff and community pushback. Districts canalso support school turnaround by developing systems that allow schools to frequently monitor student data, maintaining positive relationships with unions to help accommodate innovations such as extended schools day and incentive pay, supportingtargeted professional development for turnaround leadership and staff, and disseminating best practices and successful strategies across high-needs schools.

Research Framework for School Turnaround

Research-Based Strategies / Ensuring Connections to Best Practices

Pinellas County SchoolsTiered Levels of Support for 2017-18

(Based on 2016 Data. Pending School Grades Released This Summer)

Tier I Tier II Tier III / Transformation Zone

All Schools Dixie Hollins High School Gibbs High SchoolDunedin High School

Azalea Middle Tyrone Middle John Hopkins Middle

Largo Middle Bardmoor Elementary Bear Creek Elementary Gulfport Elementary Lealman Ave Elementary Mildred Helms Elementary Ponce De Leon Elementary High Point ElementarySeventy-Fourth St Elementary Sandy Lane ElementaryWoodlawn Elementary

Campbell Park ElementaryFairmount Park Elementary Lakewood ElementaryMaximo ElementaryMelrose ElementaryMidtown Academy

Tier I Tier II Tier III / Transformation ZoneSchools with an A or B Schools with decline in grade Schools with a D or F and most C schools. or schools in DA monitoring. or previous D or F grade.

Pinellas County SchoolsTiered Levels of Support for 2017-18

All schools receive high levels of support from all district departments.

In addition to Tier 1 supports, schools receive:• Priority Just in Time coaching• Instructional Support aligned to

Rigor Walk process / with Executive Directors and Area Sups bi-weekly

• Quarterly data chats based on formative assessment results with recommended actions

• Directed guidance in state school improvement model

• Additional teacher planning time developed by school administration and teachers

In addition to Tier 1 and 2 supports, schools receive:• Instructional Support aligned to

Rigor Walk process / with Executive Directors, Area Sups and Director of Transformation weekly

• School Improvement Meetings with Executive Directors and Area Sups

• Additional teacher planning / increase over Tier II planning

• Implement Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs

Scale Up for Success:• Onsite support from

Transformation Zone Team• Extended instructional day• Specialized professional

development• Embedded coaching

Pinellas County SchoolsTiered Levels of Support for 2017-18

Tier I – All Schools

Personnel / Human Capital• District staffing model• Teacher transfer process• District job fairs

Curriculum and Instruction• Core instructional materials (standards-based)• Supplemental digital resources• Instructional school supports visits• Just-in-Time academic coaching

Leadership Development• Monthly PD via Leadership meetings, Area meetings • Area Superintendents support principal growth

Discipline Resources• Code of Student Conduct• Area Superintendent / MTSS Specialist support• PBIS training for schools• Restorative Practices training for schools

Family and Community Engagement• Family and Community liaisons• Office of Family and Community Relations

Pinellas County SchoolsTiered Levels of Support for 2017-18

Tier II – Priority Schools

Personnel / Human Capital• Protected Hiring

Curriculum and Instruction• Priority Just in Time academic coaching• Instructional support visits aligned to Rigor Walk• Monitoring, support from district team• Quarterly data chats based on assessment results• Additional teacher planning time developed by school

administration and teachers

Leadership Development• PD in turnaround competencies

Discipline Resources• Monthly data reports to Area Superintendents• Additional staff support in schools as needed

(ex: social workers, etc.)

Family and Community Engagement• Training for schools on key strategies / Dr. Mapp

Pinellas County SchoolsTiered Levels of Support for 2017-18

Tier III – Transformation Zone / Turnaround Schools

Personnel / Human Capital• Recruitment, hiring support from Transformation Team• Differentiated staffing positions (as needed)• Additional recruitment, retention bonuses (Scale Up)

Curriculum and Instruction• Flexible instructional model• Extended student day • Instructional support visits aligned to Rigor Walk /

with Executive Directors, Area Superintendents and Transformation Zone Director

• Monitoring, support from Transformation Team• Additional teacher planning

Leadership Development• Side-by-side coaching from Director

of School Transformation

Discipline Resources• Monthly data reports to district Transformation Team• Restorative practices training / alternatives to suspension

Family and Community Engagement• Extensive training for schools on key strategies / Dr. Mapp• Additional wrap-around services (ex: family navigator)

Turnaround Schools / Transformation Zone

• Continue Transformation Zone support and continue to provide autonomy to schools within the zone to pursue creative solutions and evidence-based interventions.

• Continue to ensure that strong leaders are in place at all turnaround schools. Provide prospective leaders with a competency inventory to ensure that they are good fits to complete “turnaround” initiatives.

• Continue investment in bi-weekly assessments and NWEA MAP assessment to provide real-time data to schools to inform instructional decisions.

• Continue competitive retention and recruitment bonus for instructional staff for and maintain the current school performance bonus for teachers and school leaders.

• Continue providing principals and school staff with a great degree of autonomy to design and adapt the curriculum and instructional day, as long as they are in accordance with the guidance of the Director of School Transformation and Teaching and Learning.

• Continue providing an extended school day and additional “extended learning” funding to support the needs of students who require additional intervention. Provide additional materials, training as needed.

Turnaround Initiatives / Lessons Learned

Turnaround Initiatives / Lessons LearnedTurnaround Schools / Transformation Zone

• Ensure greater alignment of the work of Human Resources, Teaching and Learning, Strategic Communications and Area Superintendents to support the unique Transformation Zone model and reduce miscommunication between district departments.

• Continue tiered coaching model to provides on-site support to newer teachers with coaching from master teachers. Create a unique pre-service workshop for new teachers entering the Transformation Zone schools for the first time.

• Develop a Professional Learning Community of teachers from the Transformation Zone to share ideas learned regarding turnaround competencies and from lessons learned national models such as the zone in Memphis, TN.

• Continue training for school staff on engaging families in learning-centered activities related to the Dual-Capacity Workshop framework from Dr. Karen Mapp (Harvard University).

Lessons Learned Strategies to Scale Up:

• Use of NWEA MAP assessment / consider expanding to all elementary schools• Increased Planning Time / consider expanding to Tier II schools • Use of LSI Rigor Walk / Feedback / consider expanding to Tier II schools• Development of Turnaround Leaders / consider a differentiated training path to develop future turnaround leaders