Office of School Improvement
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Priority Schools
Q: How are priority schools identified and how does a priority school exit?
A: Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver, the lowest performing Title I schools, determined by rank-order based on the sum of the difference(s) between the performance of the “all students” group in reading and mathematics compared to the respective federal AMO proficiency targets are identified as priority schools. Included in this group are Title I high schools with a federal graduation indicator* of 60 percent or less for two or more of the most recent consecutive years. In addition, non-Title I and Title I schools previously identified and served as a Tier I or Tier II school under Section 1003(g) of ESEA in Federal Fiscal Year 2009 (Cohort I) or 2010 (Cohort II) are included. Based on 723 schools identified as Title I in school year 2011-2012, Virginia will identify a number of schools equal to five percent of the state’s Title I schools, or 36 schools (5 percent of 723) as priority schools.
Schools identified as priority schools must implement a three-year intervention model as described in the response to Question 2.D.iii, and will be identified as priority schools for the entire three-year implementation period. To exit priority status following the third year of implementation, priority schools must demonstrate improvement in student achievement according to the criteria for which the school was originally identified, as follows:
Reason for Priority School Identification / Exit CriteriaCriterion A / Schools receiving School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds under Section 1003(g) of ESEA in Federal Fiscal Year 2009 (Cohort I) or 2010 (Cohort II) and identified and served as a Tier I or Tier II school / Will exit priority status at the conclusion of implementation of the chosen three-year intervention model
Criterion B / Title I high schools with a federal graduation indicator* of 60 percent or less for two or more of the most recent consecutive years / Will exit priority status after full implementation of a three year intervention model and sustaining a 10 percent reduction in the percentage of students not earning a standard or advanced diploma within a four year period for two consecutive years
Criterion C / Title I schools based on the “all students” performance in reading and/or mathematics performance on federal AMOs / Will exit priority status after full implementation of a three year intervention model and meeting federal AMOs for the “all students” for two consecutive years
Criterion D / Title I schools failing to meet the 95% participation rate in reading and/or mathematics for three consecutive years / Will exit priority status after full implementation of a three year intervention model and meeting the participation rate for the “all students” for two consecutive years
* The ESEA federal graduation indicator recognizes only Standard and Advanced Studies diplomas.
A Tier I or Tier II SIG school will continue to be identified as a priority school if it meets Criterion B, C, or D at the conclusion of the three-year SIG model implementation period.
Q: What requirements that apply to schools receiving Title I, Part A funds apply to schools that receive SIG funds? For example, is the local educational agency (LEA) required to notify parents regarding a school’s identification as a priority school?
A: Title I schools must comply with all Title I requirements. For example, supplement, and not supplant would apply with SIG and Title I, Part A funds. Also, parents should continue to receive information on their children’s progress in meeting State academic achievement standards as well as their school’s success in helping all students meet those standards. Parents will know whether their children’s schools are succeeding, by being identified as reward schools, or falling short, by being identified as priority or focus schools.When schools fall short, parents can be assured that school leaders will adopt strategies focused on school needs and targeted towards the students most at risk. A non-title I school that receives SIG funds must comply only with the requirements of section 1003(g), the final requirements, and conditions of Virginia’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver.
Q: What are the basic requirements for priority schools?
- Select a Lead Turnaround Partner (LTP) from the VDOE approved list (or solicit VDOE approval and follow LEA procurement policy);
- Implement one of the 4 USED turnaround models or write a comprehensive grant award application to show all turnaround principles will be met and hire a LTP;
- Ensure schools receiving funds implement one of the four USED models or implement a model that addresses the USED turnaround principles;
- Use its funds to implement fully and effectively an intervention model in each school that the LEA commits to serve consistent with one of the four USED models;
- Agree to hold the LTP accountable for complying with the selected model;
- Use Indistar®, an online school improvement planning tool;
- Establish annual goals for student achievement on the state’s assessments in both reading/language arts and mathematics;
- Collect for documentation:
o meeting minutes (division- and school-level)
o professional development activities
o strategies for extended learning opportunities,
o parent activities
o indicators of effective leadership and instructional practice
- Set leading and lagging indicators, including reporting and monitoring leading indicators quarterly and lagging indicators annually;
- Complete an analysis of data points for quarterly reports to ensure strategic, data-informed decisions are made to deploy needed interventions for students who are not meeting expected growth measures and/or who are at risk of failure and dropping out of school;
- Ensure forty percent of a teacher’s evaluation will be based on multiple measures of student academic progress; when data are available and appropriate, teacher performance evaluations incorporate student growth;
- Use an electronic query system to provide principals with quarterly data (at minimum) to make data-informed decisions at the school-level (VA Dashboard/Datacation or other VDOE approved data review tool;
- Use an adaptive reading assessment program approved by VDOE to determine student growth at least quarterly for any student who has failed the SOL assessment in the previous year, a student with a disability, or an English Language Learner (ELL);
- Use the Algebra Readiness Diagnostic Test (ARDT) for all schools with grade 5 or higher for all students who have failed the SOL assessment in the previous year, a student with a disability, or an English Language Learner (fall, mid-year, and spring, at minimum);
- Attend all OSI technical assistance sessions provided for principals, division staff, and LTPs;
- Collaborates with an assigned VDOE contractor to ensure the LTP, division, and school maintain the fidelity of implementation necessary for reform;
- Provide an annual (could be quarterly if needed) structured report to a panel of VDOE staff and turnaround leaders detailing the current action plan, current leading and lagging indicators, and modifications to be made to ensure the reform is successful; and
- Report to the state the school-level data required under the final requirements of the waiver.
Q. What are the four turnaround models priority schools have to choose from?
A. The four USED models include:
Turnaround Model: Replace the principal, screen existing school staff, and rehire no more than half the teachers; adopt a new governance structure; and improve the school through curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.
Restart Model: Convert a school or close it and re-open it as a charter school or under an education management organization.
School Closure: Close the school and send the students to higher-achieving schools in the division.
Transformation Model: Replace the principal and improve the school through comprehensive curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.
Q: What are the required turnaround principles priority schools must implement?
A: Turnaround Principles: Meaningful interventions designed to improve the academic achievement of students in priority schools must be aligned with all of the following
“turnaround principles” and selected with family and community input:
· providing strong leadership by: (1) reviewing the performance of the current principal; (2) replacing the principal if such a change is necessary to ensure strong and effective leadership, or demonstrating to the SEA that the current principal has a track record in improving achievement and has the ability to lead the turnaround effort; and (3) providing the principal with operational flexibility in the areas of scheduling, staff, curriculum, and budget;
· ensuring that teachers are effective and able to improve instruction by: (1) reviewing the quality of all staff and retaining only those who are determined to be effective and have the ability to be successful in the turnaround effort; (2) preventing ineffective teachers from transferring to these schools; and (3) providing job-embedded, ongoing professional development informed by the teacher evaluation and support systems and tied to teacher and student needs;
· redesigning the school day, week, or year to include additional time for student learning and teacher collaboration;
· strengthening the school’s instructional program based on student needs and ensuring that the instructional program is research-based, rigorous, and aligned with state academic content standards;
· using data to inform instruction and for continuous improvement, including providing time for collaboration on the use of data;
· establishing a school environment that improves school safety and discipline and addresses other non-academic factors that impact student achievement, such as students’ social, emotional, and health needs; and
· providing ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement.
Q: What is the role of the Lead Turnaround Partner in priority schools?
A: The LTP, under contract with the local school board, brings increased resources and support for deep, systemic reform. This model is centered on the LTP providing an outside-the-system approach inside-the-system. Under the ultimate authority of the school divisions‟ local school boards, the LTP leads the reform effort within the turnaround zone and has been given the ability to act and authority to make choices.
Q: How will new members of school/division leadership teams be trained to use the Indistar® Web-based planning tool?
A: Priority School specific hands-on Indistar® training will be provided during scheduled technical assistance sessions. Training materials will be posted on the Priority School Web page at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/school_improvement/priority_schools/index.shtml
Q: Is a division-level Indistar® plan required for priority schools?
A: No, the division-level support for the turnaround efforts and division-level meeting minutes (with the school) should be documented in the school’s Transformational Toolkit school improvement plan (or Lead Turnaround Principle school improvement plan, if applicable for Cohort I).
Q: Is a priority school required to complete (and close) all Indistar® indicators?
A: No. All indicators are assessed initially and the majority of indicators will require task development. It is not the expectation that school improvement teams cover every indicator in each month’s school improvement team meeting. Some indicators are episodic (i.e., hiring a principal, choosing a LTP). Other indicators are ongoing and will be continuously developed (i.e., K5, TA01-03).
Q: What is increased learning time and how is the requirement met by priority schools?
A: Schools are required to plan for and annually report progress in increasing learning time over the 3-year grant period. SIG requires additional time for instruction in core academic subjects, additional time for instruction in other subjects and for provision of enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education, and additional time for teachers to collaborate, plan, and engage in professional development. Accordingly, to fully implement either the turnaround or transformation model, an LEA must use a longer school day, week, or year to provide additional time for all three types of activities as part of the LEA’s comprehensive needs-based plan for turning around the entire school. Guidance on increased learning time was provided by USDE on February 8, 2012. See A-31 through A-32e below.
Addendum to Guidance
on
Fiscal Year 2010 School Improvement Grants
Under Section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
PURPOSE OF THIS ADDENDUM
2/8/2012
USED
This document revises question A-32 in the February 23, 2011, guidance [available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/sigguidance02232011.pdf], and includes two new questions — A-31a and A-32e. The Department will incorporate the revised and new questions into the complete guidance document. Question A-31 is provided below for context.
A-31. What is the definition of “increased learning time”?
“Increased learning time” means increasing the length of the school day, week, or year to significantly increase the total number of school hours so as to include additional time for (a)instruction in core academic subjects including English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography; (b)instruction in other subjects and provision of enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education, such as physical education, service learning, and experiential and work-based learning opportunities; and (c) teachers to collaborate, plan, and engage in professional development within and across grades and subjects.
A-31a. To meet the requirement for providing for increased learning time as part of the implementation of a turnaround or transformation model, must an LEA include all three components of increased learning time?
Yes. The definition of “increased learning time” requires additional time for instruction in core academic subjects, additional time for instruction in other subjects and for provision of enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education, and additional time for teachers to collaborate, plan, and engage in professional development. Accordingly, to fully implement either the turnaround or transformation model, an LEA must use a longer school day, week, or year to provide additional time for all three types of activities as part of the LEA’s comprehensive needs-based plan for turning around the entire school. Although all three components must be included, the Department expects that, in determining precisely how to use increased learning time, an LEA will focus on, and give priority to, providing additional time for instruction in core academic subjects for all students and for teachers to collaborate, plan, and engage in professional development, since these components of increased learning time are most likely to contribute to the overall SIG goal of improving the performance of the entire school. (Added February 8, 2012)