developing state systems to support school improvement and restructuring lauren morando rhim public...

Developing State Systems To Developing State Systems To Support School Improvement Support School Improvement

And Restructuring And Restructuring

Lauren Morando RhimPublic Impact

ForCenter on Innovation and Improvement

Center on Innovation and Improvement - Public Impact 2February 13, 2007

Session Overview

Introduce State Systems to Support School Improvement and Restructuring

Review Research Develop Strategic Approach


Statewide Systems of Support

NCLB dictates that SEAs are required to provide technical assistance to schools identified as in need of improvement

1. Reserve and allocate Title 1, Part A funds (4% in 2007) for school improvement activities

2. Create and sustain a statewide system of support that provides technical assistance to schools (LEA and School Improvement: Non-Regulatory Guidance, Revised 7/21/06)


NCLB Statewide Systems of Support Technical Assistance Priorities (i.e., triage

approach)1. LEAs in corrective action and schools for which

LEA has not fulfilled responsibilities related to corrective action

2. LEAs identified as in need of improvement

3. Title I LEAs and schools that need support and assistance


Statewide Systems of Support Establishing NCLB Prescribed Statewide System

of Support- Create school support teams: Teams work in schools throughout

the state and SEA must provide adequate support for teams to be effective

Designate and engage distinguished teachers and principals: Select successful professionals from existing Title I schools that have a track record of success

Develop additional TA approaches: Draw on external resources (e.g., colleges/universities, education service agencies, private providers of proven TA, and USDOE funded comprehensive centers and regional education laboratories) to assist districts


NCLB Defined School Support Teams School support teams provide struggling schools with

“practical, applicable, and helpful assistance in order to increase the opportunity for all students to meet the State’s academic content and student academic achievement standards.”

Teams should be knowledgeable about a variety of reform initiatives

Support team members are: highly qualified principals and teachers, pupil services personnel, parents, college/university personnel, education lab personnel, outside consultants, and others selected by SEAs or LEAs with documented expertise and credibility


NCLB Defined School Support Teams: Responsibilities Review and analyze school operations and use data to

develop plan for school improvement Collaborate with school and district staff and parents to

design, implement, and monitor school improvement plan Monitor plan and request additional assistance from SEA

and LEA as needed Provide feedback (twice a year) to LEA and SEA and

identify outstanding teachers and principals One year working with school and then review progress

and develop plan for “next-steps.”


Potential “Additional Approaches” to Providing Support Identify additional approaches/sources to

provide statewide system of support

Assess quality of potential providers

Engage external providers in line with district requirements and specifically, levels of needs (e.g., universal needs, targeted needs, or intensive needs).


Additional Approaches to Providing Support Examples currently being utilized by SEAs:

Audio conferences Regional In-Service Centers School Improvement Specialists Literacy and mathematics specialists Week long diagnostic review of school operations Partnerships with philanthropic organizations School improvement resource centers Peer mentors

(Center on Innovation and Improvement: www.centerII.org/ssresearch.html)


Research: Current Status Limited research base

SEAs traditionally charged with collecting data and developing policy have limited capacity to provide substantive assistance to districts/schools

Growing state role requires human and fiscal resources that most SEA’s don’t have

Demand for support/assistance is growing due to NCLB sanctions

(Reville, 2005; The Education Alliance, 2005)


Research Findings Research in 16 states found:

Support varies notably depending on state capacity, district need, and state models for support

Common Types of Support and Technical Assistance Needs assessment and planning Data analysis Capacity building Resource allocation Progress monitoring

Examples of Systems of Support: Multi-level approaches that provide strategic support based on

district need Regional networks of support Individualized support for districts School-level focused systems

(AIR, July 2006)


Research Findings Due in part to practical reality that few schools or districts

have reached corrective action stage, most states have developed systems that focus on school improvement rather than corrective action (AIR, July 2006)

Some states “frontload” assistance in an effort to pre-empt need for improvement by providing TA to all districts (AIR, July 2006)

Efforts should foster improved instruction, use of data, test practice, and supplemental tutoring (Center for Educational Policy, 2006)


Research Findings

Efforts to improve schools that focus intense support on a small cohort of schools appear to be more successful than efforts that fewer resources to more schools (Mintrop & Trujillo, 2004; Reville 2004)

Interventions that link planning and implementation to improving practice lead to success (O’Day & Bitter, 2003; Mintrop & Papzian, 2003; The Education Alliance, 2005)


Research Findings Effective reform initiatives generally embrace “multi-pronged”

approaches given instability (i.e., teacher turnover, weak infrastructure) in most low-performing schools (The Education Alliance, 2005)

Focus of efforts to help districts should be building their capacity to implement change that addresses unique context (The Education Alliance, 2005).

Key characteristic of successful change is “reform press”: a willingness by central office staff to be very specific and practical in their directions for implementing reforms in schools, and to change the behavior of or dismiss staff members who ignore district mandates (Snipes, Doolittle, and Corrine 2002; The Brown Alliance, 2005, p. 32).


Develop Strategic Approach

NCLB defines statewide systems of support but we propose that definition should be the floor not the ceiling of SEA’s role in improving schools

Besides technical capacity, key role for SEA should be to establish “reform press”

Efforts to improve schools should be driven by school and district needs rather than expediency given existing SEA structures/systems


Develop Strategic Approach

Strategic approach may require state-level policy changes and advocacy and a reconsideration of the “givens” (e.g., state laws and policies, and distribution of human capital)

Critical goal is to implement systems that move beyond existing SEA/LEA improvement efforts and serve as a catalyst for meaningful change that alters the educational opportunities for children in low-performing schools


State Systems of SupportDiscussion Questions: How does your SEA support district and school

improvement? What lessons or best practices have you learned from

developing systems of support? Given the size of your state, how do you monitor the quality

or impact of your state supports? Have you encountered unique issues associated with

supporting urban, suburban, or rural districts? What “givens” exist in your state that if changed, could

facilitate change?


Additional questions:

Lauren Morando Rhim

Senior Consultant

Public Impact

[email protected]

(301)655-1992

developing state systems to support school improvement and restructuring lauren morando rhim public...

Documents