Persistently Low-Achieving Schools (PLA):Identification to Implementation and Support with Key Decision Points
Office of Assessment and Accountability (OAA) -*Identification of schools from spring test scores (See addendum: Persistently Low-Achieving (PLA) Identification Chart)
Office of NextGenerationSchools and Districts (ONGSD) – verifies identification with federal guidance
Division of District 180 will oversee the following:
School Leadership Assessment**– to be completed within 60 days of identification and to include these determinations about:
- School council has the capability and capacity*** to continue its roles and responsibilities established in KRS 160.345; and
- Principal has the capability and capacity to continue his or her roles and responsibilities established in KRS 160.345.
(A school leadership assessment shall be repeated every two years until requirements of KRS160.346(8) are met.)
District Leadership Assessment** - to be completed within 60 days of identification and to include a determination about:
- District’s ability to manage the intervention options in the identified schools.
(A district leadership assessment is to be repeated every two years until requirements of KRS160.346(8) are met by all schools in the district. There shall be only one district leadership assessment per district, per year, regardless of the number of persistently low-achieving schools located in the district.)
Commissioner’s Approval – The commissioner will make all final determinations based on the information in the leadership assessments.
Report Delivery - Within 10 days of receipt of the leadership assessment team’s recommendations for a specific school, the commissioner shall notify, in writing, the school council, superintendent, and local board of education of the determination regarding:
- School council authority
- Principal authority
- District capacity
Appeals - The district has right to appeal to KBE on behalf of the principal, school council, or itself (within30 days of receipt of report).
*Persistently Low-Achieving schools as defined in HB 176
**District and school level leadership assessments will occur during the same week.
***School level capacity is defined in 703 KAR 5:180 Section 2 (2) – District level capacity is defined in 703 KAR 5:180 Section 3 (4).
Authority for Selection of an Intervention Option–
Scenario 1- If:
- School council has capacity
- District has capacity
Then:
- School council shall, within thirty (30) days after the receipt of the commissioner’s notification, choose an intervention option pursuant to KRS 160.346 and develop an action plan.
- School council shall present the option and plan to the local board of education, which shall give final approval and provide the necessary support and resources for the recovery effort.
Scenario 2 - If:
- School council does not have capacity and leadership assessment recommends the council’s authority be transferred
- District has capacity and leadership assessment recommends the council’s authority be transferred to the superintendent
Then:
- Superintendent shall, within thirty (30) days after the receipt of the commissioner’s notification, make a recommendation for an intervention option; submit to the local board of education.
- Local board makes the final determination on the intervention option.
Scenario 3 – If:
- School council has capacity
- District does not have the capacity
Then:
- School council shall, within thirty (30) days after the receipt of the commissioner’s notification, choose the intervention option and submit its choice to the local board of education.
- Local board submits the choice to the Commissioner of Education who shall approve the choice.
Scenario 4 – If:
- School council does not have capacity and leadership assessment recommends the council’s authority be transferred
- District does not have capacity and the leadership assessments recommends the council’s authority be transferred to the Commissioner of Education
- Commissioner of Education shall, within thirty (30) days after receipt of the assessment team determination and in consultation with the school council, superintendent and local board of education, determine the intervention option.
- School and local district shall implement the intervention option with support from the Kentucky Department of Education.
Implementation of Intervention Options–A school or district shall follow these guidelines for the option selected:
Restaffing Option:
- Replace the principal.
(If the current principal was hired for the 2007-08 school year or after, he/she shall be eligible to remain if the school leadership assessment team recommends and the commissioner determines the principal has the capacity to lead the recoveryand hasspecific training in turning around low- achieving schools.)
- Replace the school council with individuals appointed by the commissioner.
(The current school council shall be eligible to remain if the school leadership assessment team recommends and the commissioner determines the school council has the capacity to lead the recovery.)
- Use local board of education standards to measure the effectiveness of all staff.
- Select new staff to replace those transferred or dismissed.
Transformation Option:
- Replace the principal who led the school prior to commencement of the transformation model.
(If the current principal was hired for the 2007-08 school year or after,he/she shall be eligible to remain if the school leadership assessment recommends and the commissioner determines the principal has the capacity to lead the recovery and hasspecific training in turning around low- achieving schools.)
- Replace the school council with individuals appointed by the commissioner.
(The current school council shall be eligible to remain if the school leadership assessment team recommends and the commissioner determines the school council has the capacity to lead the recovery.)
External Management Option (EMO):
- Choose an EMO from a list of EMOs approved by the Kentucky Board of Education.
School ClosureOption:
- Close the school and enroll students in higher-achieving schools within the district.
School Improvement Grants (SIG) – District will apply on behalf of schools for federal school improvement grant funds.
- Local school and district personnel will receive technical assistance from KDE in making applications for SIG funds.
- After completing their application, which should include the selection of the intervention option, a cross-agency team at KDE will review and assist the school and district with revisions.
- Funds will be allocated to the district when all school plans within the district application are approved.
Assignment of Educational Recovery (ER) Staff – Resources to assist schools and districts will be coordinated by District 180.The resources assigned will be from among the following:
- Centers for Learning Excellence (CLE) – located regionally at EasternKentuckyUniversity, University of Louisville and WesternKentuckyUniversity
- Educational Recovery Directors (ERD) – located at each CLE, the ERDs will coordinate resources district-wide as well as assisting Tier III schools in the region
- Educational Recovery Leaders (ERL) – to mentor the building principal and coordinate school level assistance
- Educational Recovery Specialists (ERS) – specific to math and literacy
Turnaround Training – Each PLA school will receive specific training,sponsored by KDE, prior to implementation of the SIG application and receiving ER resources. Each school team should include:
- Superintendent of designee
- School principal
- At least two teacher leaders, preferably one in both math and literacy
- Person who is responsible to administer the SIG grant
The turnaround training modules will include but not be limited to:
Turnaround change
Building and sustaining an achievement oriented and accountability based culture
Teaching and Learning
Creating and sustaining continuous improvement
KDE:OGSS:KB:D180:SS:102510