SIG Technical Assistance: Things to Think About

Lauren Morando Rhimfor the Center on Innovation & Improvement

Lauren_Rhim@lmrconsulting.us

Handbook on Effective Implementation of School Improvement Grants (2010)

Center on Innovation & Improvementhttp://www.centerii.org/handbook/

Purpose: Bolster the effective implementation of the intervention models and strategies outlined in the SIG—section 1003(g) of ESEA

Handbook offers succinct and practical explanations of the SIG’s required and recommended models and strategies

Includes references to the underlying research and connections to useful resources.

Part I frames the purposes of the SIGs

Part II itemizes 50+ relevant strategies, connects them to research, cites resources, offers action principles for SEAs, LEAs, and schools.

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Example: Creating a Turnaround Office (p.31)

“Emerging research indicates that states and districts are well positioned to take a lead role in enabling, driving, supporting, and sustaining school turnaround efforts through the creation of a designated turnaround office (Mass Insight Education 2007; 2009). Whether developed at the state or district level, a turnaround office should provide concentrated and coherent resources and expertise to priority schools identified due to chronic low performance…. “• Create a designated school turnaround office charged with directing statewide turnaround

efforts.• Assign senior staff and required resources to direct and coordinate the state’s role in school

turnaround efforts. • Pursue needed policy changes to give districts and schools needed freedom and flexibility to

implement their turnaround strategies. • Identify schools to receive targeted turnaround interventions. • Develop strategies related to specific turnaround options (e.g., turnaround, restart, or

transformation). • Devise procedures for determining which strategy to pursue at each identified school.

Sample Action Principles For States Creating a State-Level Turnaround Office:

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Big Picture #1: Examine Alignment of School Improvement Priorities and Allocation of Resources

What are your statewide school improvement priorities?

Does allocation of time, people and money reflect priorities?

Redirect allocations that don’t support priorities

School improvement efforts are not a one time initiative but rather, a core responsibility of states, districts and schools

SIGs should not be layered upon existing efforts but rather, drive a reconfiguration of core state, district, and school resource allocations and operations

School improvement models will require cultivation of talent pipeline (principals and staff)

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Big Picture #2: Develop Intentional, Targeted, and Bold School Improvement Strategies

Overarching goal is to initiate substantive change where prior efforts have failed; adults and systems required to engage in real, as opposed to symbolic or compliance-based, change.

Tiered approach developed to ensure focus on “persistently lowest-achieving.”

Data central to identification, intervention and continuous improvement

Incremental change inadequate given high costs of low performance

Rigorous review of LEA applications will be critical to successful investment of SIG dollars.

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Big Picture #3: Differentiate Interventions Based on School and System Capacity*

Different Performance/Capacity = Different Intervention

Closure

Turnaround/Restart/

TransformationIncremental

Improvement

Support and Sustain

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* Distribution is not accurate representation of performance/capacity levels distribution

Resources• http://www.centerii.org/handbook/• Hassel, E. A., Hassel, B., Arkin, M. D., Kowal, J., & Steiner, L. M. (2006). School

restructuring under No Child Left Behind: What works when? Washington, DC: Public Impact for Learning Point Associates. Retrieved from http://www.centerforcsri.org/files/ RestructuringGuide.pdf

• Redding, S. (2006). The Mega System: Deciding. Learning. Connecting. Lincoln, IL: Academic Development Institute. Retrieved from www.centerii.org/survey

• Redding, S. (2009) Framework for an effective statewide system of support. Lincoln, IL: Center on Innovation & Improvement. Retrieved from www.centerii.org/survey

• Redding, S. and Walberg, H., (Eds.). (2008). Handbook on statewide systems of support. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. Retrieved from www.centerii.org

• Walberg, H., (Ed.). (2007). Handbook on restructuring and substantial school improvement. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing. Retrieved from www.centerii.org/survey

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