Opportunity Culture District Implementation Review

Opportunity Culture District Implementation Review

According to research, fidelity tothe five Opportunity Culture Principles helps teaching teams and their schoolsexceedstudent growth expectations.

This rubric provides benchmarks to assessthestrength of a district’s Opportunity Culture plan and implementation. It covers the five Opportunity Culture Principles and otherfactorsaffecting outcomes.

The benchmark levels are based on research and analyses of national data about outcomes (student growth and teacher satisfaction) andscale (how many students and teachers benefit).Multi-Classroom Leadership of small teams is essential, based on research about Opportunity Culture schools.

The “High OC Fidelity” level is associated with the strongest student growth, teacher satisfaction, and/orpositive impact on more students and teachers.

For district planning: District design teams should use these benchmarks to make district-level design decisions and to set parameters for schools. Planning and implementing High OC Fidelity is more likely to produce maximum positive impact on students and teachers.
For assessment: Choose the level that best describes the district’s formal plans, or, for assessing implementation, the level best describingactual practice. Some districts may fall between levels; mark the lower level. Overstating may reduce district improvement efforts, leaving gaps intact.

Individual schools within a district may differ. See the School Plan Reviewand School Implementation Review forschool-level rating rubrics.

Public Impact can provide comprehensive benchmarking against other OC districts and schools, andrecommendations for improvement.Districts using Public Impact’s School Excellence Portal have access to data continuously.

This tool will be updated on OpportunityCulture.org as new data become available.

District Name:

Date:

Rater’s Name(s), Title(s), and Organization:

Purpose:

☐Making or Improving District’s Plan☐Assessing District’s Plan☐Assessing District’s Actual Implementation

Note: “OC teacher” refers to those in advanced Opportunity Culture roles intended for teachers with a track record of excellence and highgrowth, unless otherwise indicated.Please see Career Paths and Pay in an Opportunity Culture: A Practical Guide for role definitions.

Which Benchmark Level Best Describes This District?

Opportunity Culture Fidelity
Opportunity Culture Principle #1: Reach more students with excellent teachers and their teams.
High fidelity means high-growth teachers reach more students than typically, with teaching team sizes (spans) that make reach with results feasible.
Note: Reach may be of excellent teachers in OC and typical teacher roles.
Ratings Against National Benchmarks on Opportunity Culture Principle #1
Element / High OC Fidelity / Moderate OC Fidelity / Low OC Fidelity
Selectivity / ☐High: 90%+ of teachers in OC roles demonstrated prior high growth (e.g., 2 of last 3 years of most recent teaching results). / ☐Moderate: 50-89% of teachers in OC roles demonstrated prior high growth (e.g., 2 of last 3 years of most recent teaching results). / ☐Low: Less than 50% of teachers in OC roles demonstrated prior high growth (e.g., 2 of last 3 years of most recent teaching results).
Reach Per School / ☐High: Check “high” if both boxes below are checked
☐Overall reach is high across OC schools: 80%+ of schools reach80%+ students in four core subjects with OC roles or other teachers who have demonstrated prior high growth* (e.g., 2 of last 3 years teaching).
☐No OC schools have wide MCL teaching team spans that compromise reach (>8 adults**, not by choice and/or without prior high growth in leading team of 6–8). / ☐Moderate: Check “moderate” if both boxes below are checked or1box in the high column at left is checked and 1 box below is checked
☐Overall reach is mixed across OC schools: 20%– 79% schools reach 80%+ students in four core subjects with OC roles or other teachers who have demonstrated prior high growth* (e.g., 2 of last 3 years teaching).
☐MCLs in 1-49% of OC schools have wide teaching team spans that compromise reach (>8 adults**, not by choice and/or without prior high growth in leading team of 6–8). / ☐Low: Check “low” if either box below is checked
☐Overall reach is low across all OC schools: less than 20% of schools reach 80%+ students in four core subjects with OC roles or other teachers who have demonstrated prior high growth* (e.g., 2 of last 3 years teaching).
☐MCLs in 50%+ of OC schools have wide teaching team spans that compromise reach (>8 adults**, not by choice and/or without prior high growth leading team of 6–8).
*If rater is unable to include “other teachers who have demonstrated prior high growth” in this rating, please indicate. ** Adults = teachers and all assistants
Reach Per District / ☐High:District reaches 50%–100% of schools with OC (or, in first 3 years, district states intent to do so). / ☐Moderate: District reaches 25%–49% of schools with OC (no announced goal in first 3 years to reach more, or failure to reach more after 3 years). / ☐Low: District reaches less than 25% of schools with OC (no announced goal in first 3 years to reach more, or failure to reach more after 3 years).
Notes: Explain district actions that may make OC fidelity higher than data indicate, or concerns that reduce fidelity in word or spirit:
Opportunity Culture Fidelity
Opportunity Culture Principle #2: Pay teachers more for extending their reach.
High fidelity means OC role supplements make pay much higher than regular classroom teaching, competitive with administrative roles,
and progressively more for greater reach of excellence.
Note: Pay as percentage of state average may also affect outcomes, as may total cash pay compared with neighboring districts. For example, adding supplements in a district without base pay add-ons may make pay more competitive for highly effective teachers than neighboring districts with base pay add-ons.
Note: Check NA in the left column for any items that do not apply.
Ratings Against National Benchmarks on Opportunity Culture Principle #2
Element / High OC Fidelity / Moderate OC Fidelity / Low OC Fidelity
Advanced Role Pay Competitiveness / ☐High: Top OC supplements for multi-classroom leaders are 40% or more of district average teacher pay. / ☐Moderate: Top OC supplements for multi-classroom leadersare 20%–39% of district average teacher pay. / ☐Low: Top OC supplements for multi-classroom leadersare less than 20% of district average teacher pay.
Team Reach Teacher* Pay
☐ NA / ☐High:All team reach teachers* with MCLs earn supplements of at least $1,000, and some earn 15% or more of district average teacher pay.
*Teachers who extend their reach directly. / ☐Moderate:All team reach teachers* with MCLs earn supplements of at least $1,000,and some earn 10% or more of district average teacher pay.
*Teachers who extend their reach directly. / ☐Low: Some team reach teachers* with MCLs earn no supplement, or less than $1,000.
*Teachers who extend their reach directly.
Career Path / ☐High: Career pathincludestwo or more roles that each have more than one level within each role (e.g.,MCL1, MCL2;Team reach teacher, Master team reach teacher). / ☐Moderate: Career path includes twoor more roles with no levels within the roles (e.g., MCL and team reach teacher), or only one role with more than onelevel (e.g., MCL1 and MCL2). / ☐Low: Career path includes only one OC role with no levels (e.g., MCL).
Pay Matches Reach / ☐High: Pay supplements are progressively higher for roles that reach more students with proven excellence, and pay increases between levels are significant (more than 5% of base). / ☐Moderate: Pay supplements are progressively higher for roles that reach more students with proven excellence, but pay increases between levels are small (5% of base or less). / ☐Low: Paid supplements are not progressively higher for roles that reach more students with proven excellence.
Notes: Explain district actions that may make OC fidelity higher than data indicate, or concerns that reduce fidelity in word or spirit:
Opportunity Culture Fidelity
Opportunity Culture Principle #3: Fund pay within regular budgets.
High fidelity means OC pay is funded within each school’s recurring budget.
Ratings Against National Benchmarks on Opportunity Culture Principle #3
Level / High OC Fidelity / Moderate OC Fidelity / Low OC Fidelity
School-Level Sustainability / ☐High: OC pay supplements are funded entirely within each school’s recurring budget.
Note: More pay for all teachers may be reallocated from district; this doesn’t signal unsustainability of OC roles.
Note: If district reallocates money to school budgets, which schools can then use to fund supplements, check “High.” / ☐Moderate: OC pay supplements are funded in part by district reallocation, a grant, or state budget line, rather than entirely within regular, recurring school budgets. / ☐Low: OC pay supplements are funded entirely by district reallocation, a grant, or state budget line, not funded within regular, recurring school budgets.
Note: Promises of future sustainability do not count.
Pay-School Match / ☐High:Check “high ifOC pay supplements are set to allow all of the following:
☐Implementation for 100% OC reach in each school.
☐Sustainability in schools of all funding levels in a district.
☐Higher supplements in hard-to-staff and high-need schools.* / ☐Moderate: Check “moderate” ifOC pay supplements are set to allow some of the following (check all that apply):
☐Implementation for 100% OC reach in each school.
☐Sustainability in schools of all funding levels in a district.
☐Higher supplements in hard-to-staff and high-need schools.* / ☐Low:Check “low” if OC pay supplements allow none of the following:
☐Implementation for 100% OC reach in each school.
☐Sustainability in schools of all funding levels in a district.
☐Higher supplements in hard-to-staff and high-need schools.*
*Alone or with hard-to-staff pay added. This element may not be applicable in a small or homogeneous district that does not have some schools that are harder to staff than others.
Pay Configuration / ☐High: Pay supplements are fixed dollars, not percentages of base pay. / ☐Moderate: Pay supplements are a mix of fixed dollars and a percentage of base pay. / ☐Low: Pay supplements are not fixed dollars.
Notes: Explain district actions that may make OC fidelity higher than data indicate, or concerns that reduce fidelity in word or spirit:
Opportunity Culture Fidelity
Opportunity Culture Principle #4:
Provide protected in-school time and clarity about how to use it for planning, collaboration, and development.
High fidelity means OC teachers have time protected and co-scheduled with teammates in proportion to duties.
Ratings Against National Benchmarks on Opportunity Culture Principle #4
Level / High OC Fidelity / Moderate OC Fidelity / Low OC Fidelity
Time Scheduled / ☐High: 90%+ of schools have schedules that match roles, providing the additional planning and collaboration time during regular school hours needed for a typical person in each OC role to achieve high-growth student learning. / ☐ Moderate: 75%–89% of schools have schedules that match roles, providing the additional planning and collaboration time during regular school hours needed for a typical person in each OC role to achieve high-growth student learning. / ☐Low: Less than 75% of schools have schedules that match roles, and thus the majority of schools do not provide the additional planning and collaboration time during regular school hours needed for a typical person in each OC role to achieve high-growth student learning.
Time Protected / ☐High: Time scheduled for planning and collaboration for OC roles is protected against disruptions and extra duties. / ☐Moderate: Time scheduled for planning and collaboration for OC roles is inconsistently protected against disruptions and extra duties. / ☐Low: Time scheduled for planning and collaboration for OC roles is usually not protected against disruptions and extra duties.
Notes: Explain district actions that may make OC fidelity higher than data indicate, or concerns that reduce fidelity in word or spirit:
Opportunity Culture Fidelity
Opportunity Culture Principle #5: Match authority and accountability to each person’s responsibilities.
High fidelity means formal authority and accountability for student growth and teacher success
is written, communicated, and included in OC teacher evaluations.
Ratings Against National Benchmarks on Opportunity Culture Principle #5
Level / High OC Fidelity / Moderate OC Fidelity / Low OC Fidelity
Formal Accountability / ☐High: OC role evaluations do all 3 of these:
☐Match each role a person has (e.g., include leadership for MCLs)
☐Include a measure of student growth or equivalent learning measure
☐Match teachers to precise students for whom each OC teacher is accountable (e.g., for MCLs, all team members’ students). / ☐ Moderate: OC role evaluations do only 2 of these:
☐Match each role a person has (e.g., include leadership for MCLs)
☐Include a measure of student growth or equivalent learning measure
☐Match teachers to precise students for whom each OC teacher is accountable (e.g., for MCLs, all team members’ students). / ☐Low: OC role evaluations do only1 or none of these:
☐Match each role a person has (e.g., include leadership for MCLs)
☐Include a measure of student growth or equivalent learning measure
☐Match teachers to precise students for whom each OC teacher is accountable (e.g., for MCLs, all team members’ students).
Role Clarity / ☐High: Check “high” if all of the following are true:
☐District uses standard OC job descriptions consistently districtwide; and
☐Duties or qualifications districtwide comply with OC Principles; and
☐Actual roles reflect descriptions. / ☐Moderate: Check “moderate” if all of the following are true:
☐OC job descriptions vary from school to school across the district; but
☐ Variations still comply with OC Principles; and
☐Actual roles reflect descriptions. / ☐Low:Check “low” if at least one of the following is true (check all that apply):
☐District has no job descriptions for OC roles.
☐Actual roles conflict with 1 or more OC Principles, in letter or spirit.
☐Actual roles don’t reflect descriptions.
Positional Authority / ☐High: Schools and district consistently communicate that roles have the authority described in job descriptions. / ☐Moderate: Schools and/or district inconsistently communicate whether roles have the authority described in job descriptions. / ☐Low: Schools or district fail to communicate that roles have the authority described in job descriptions (or communicate that positions do not have authority).
Notes: Explain district actions that may make OC fidelity higher than data indicate, or concerns that reduce fidelity in word or spirit:
Opportunity Culture Fidelity
Additional Implementation Factors
These elements have been identified as potentially affecting short- and long-term student outcomes in OC districts,
as well as the number of students and teachers positively impacted.
Implementation Basics
Level / High OC Fidelity / Moderate OC Fidelity / Low OC Fidelity
Principal Opportunity / ☐High:
☐By year 3 of implementation, district provides a multi-school leader career path for principals,
and each of these principals:
☐Has achieved high growth most years (e.g., 2 out of every 3)
☐Earns more in proportion to the number of schools led
☐Is paid within the combined budgets of the schools the principal leads
☐Has a schedule permitting a rotating on-site presence in each school led
☐Is formally accountable for student outcomes in all schools led
☐Leads no more than eight schools; in first year, no more than four / ☐ Moderate: The district has an announced but as yet unimplemented plan for a multi-school leader career path that meets all six elements at left. / ☐Low: The district does not provideor have a plan for a multi-school leader career path that meets all of the criteria at left.
Curriculum / ☐High:District provides a high-standards curriculum (by national and international standards) with all of the following:
☐Aligned lesson plans
☐Lesson plans that include methods for differentiation and other personalization
☐Aligned assessments per unit or lesson throughout the year. / ☐Moderate: District provides a high-standards curriculum that has only 1 or 2 of these elements (check the elements it does have):
☐Aligned lesson plans
☐Lesson plans that include methods for differentiation and other personalization
☐Aligned assessments per unit or lesson throughout the year. / ☐Low:1 or bothof the following are true (check all that apply):
☐District does not provide a high-standards curriculum, by national or international standards
☐District provides a high-standards curriculum without: aligned lesson plans, methods for differentiation, and aligned assessments.
(continued on next page)
Opportunity Culture Fidelity
Additional Implementation Factors (continued)
These elements have been identified as potentially affecting short- and long-term student outcomes in OC districts,
as well as the number of students and teachers positively impacted.
Note: Check NA in the left column if the item does not apply (i.e., questions about MCL roles in a district without MCLs).
Implementation Basics
Level / High OC Fidelity / Moderate OC Fidelity / Low OC Fidelity
Instruction / ☐High: District consistently provides instructional excellence training to MCLs, all OC teachers, or all teachers. / ☐Moderate: District inconsistently provides instructional excellence training to MCLs, all OC teachers, or all teachers. / ☐Low: District does not provide instructional excellence training to MCLs, all OC teachers, or all teachers.
Leadership Training
☐ NA / ☐High: District consistently provides training on leading an OC team to both
☐MCLs
☐Principals / ☐Moderate: District inconsistently provides training on leading an OC team to both
☐MCLs
☐Principals / ☐Low: District does not provide training on leading an OC team to MCLs or principals.
Recruitment / ☐High: District does all of these:
☐Launch recruiting before March
☐Make offers during spring
☐Recruit for diverse pool.
See also selectivity questions above. / ☐Moderate: District does just 2:
☐Launch recruiting before March
☐Make offers during spring
☐Recruit for diverse pool.
See also selectivity questions above. / ☐Low: District does 1 or none:
☐Launch recruiting before March
☐Make offers during spring
☐Recruit for diverse pool.
See also selectivity questions above

Notes. Note any concerns, missing data, or qualifications: